My undergraduate degree is in journalism, which instilled in my heart and mind a love of language and a passion for carefully and thoughtfully stringing words together. Plain and simple, words matter. Words hold power. Words motivate or deflate hopes and dreams, attitudes and behaviors. Words excite, inspire, and elate – even as they sadden, frighten, and intimidate. Words define our environment and our community. Words shape the spaces where we work, where we learn, and where we relax.