To mangle a phrase from John Jantsch, I believe in bringing the best of my authentic self to every opportunity. And though my path towards my education, professional career and personal interests has been nontraditional at best, it also taught me that most of the important stuff is learned off-road.

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As the director of social community at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, I not only have the opportunity but the responsibility to do what I do best: organize and analyze information, craft messages, and support the university in telling its story.

UW-Platteville is also my alma mater (Go Pioneers!), so my experience on both sides of the diploma allows me to bring a unique perspective to my work, which is best described as a melting pot of communication, marketing, online brand management and development, alumni and donor relations, project management and community building that advances the university’s digital media strategy. But really, the best part of my job is that I love what I do and I have fun doing it.

I also serve on the board of directors for Violence UnSilenced, supporting and working on behalf of the nonprofit’s mission to eradicate domestic violence, sexual abuse and sexual assault by breaking the culture of silence surrounding abuse. Giving survivors a safe space to speak out, and talking about these issues out loud in our communities is not only important, but also impactful. I encourage you to take the annual pledge, and remember: your voice is powerful.