- Department: Communications & Speech
- University: Clemson University
- Location: Clemson, South Carolina
My story reflects God’s faithfulness and how He lovingly draws us near, even when we don’t realize it. I didn’t grow up in a Christian home, and early attempts by relatives to share their faith felt like religion being forced on me. I went through college and my early 20s searching for meaning, making poor decisions, and struggling to see my worth. After my grandmother’s death, I fell into a deep depression and turned to self-help and new age ideas but found no real answers. During that time, I journaled about the kind of man I hoped to marry—someone both rugged and refined, who would cherish me as much as I cherished him. Meeting my future husband at a haunted hayride in my hometown seemed like a twist of fate, and within months, we were engaged. Shortly before our wedding, I realized I had never truly accepted God on my own terms. In a small country church started by my husband’s great-grandfather, I gave my life to Christ. Since then, life has been filled with highs and lows—brokenness, healing, joy, and growth. Through it all, God has been our constant. He has carried us through challenges in our marriage, the births of our daughters, career changes, and moments of celebration. Life isn’t always easy, but it’s better with Him. I only wish I had discovered this truth sooner.
Favorite Quote
A woman is like a tea bag - you can't tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.
Friends describe me
as energetic, blunt, passionate, outgoing
My hobbies
Yoga, movies, reading, chilling by a fire, writing
Fantasy dinner guests
Jennifer Garner, Ernest Hemingway, Julia Roberts, the Obamas
Best advice I ever received
Small daily steps add up to big changes.
My undergrad alma mater
West Virginia University
My worst subject in school
Accounting
In college I drove
a Hyundai Excel (hatchback
If I weren't a professor, I would
find a way to make a living being a reporter again.
Favorite books
Old Man and the Sea, the whole HP series, the Mitford series, Outwitting the Devil, First We Make the Beast Beautiful
Favorite movies
ooh... so many. I love movies. We have Friday Night Family Movie Night. All of the marvel movies. The HP movies. About a Boy. Love Actually (pretty much anything with Hugh Grant.)
Favorite city
London
Favorite coffee
Any flavor of the month from a local cafe
Nobody knows I
Not much that nobody knows. I tell too much.
My latest accomplishment
I will be presenting my paper, "Football Before the Community: A Lesson in Crisis Communication in the Wake of Hurricane Helene," at the 2025 IACS Summit on Communication and Sport. This work examines how sports organizations navigate crisis communication during natural disasters, using Hurricane Helene as a case study. The research highlights the intersection of community priorities and sports, offering valuable insights for effective communication strategies in high-stakes situations.
Current Research
Technical Writing, Communciation