Education should be challenging but doable, and my goal is to encourage students to prioritize learning (not just grades) by infusing novelty and current events into my educational strategies. I strongly advocate the idea that education and learning are not defined by a classroom, but instead realized through an awareness of surroundings and a desire for intellectual challenges and growth. As such, I strive to improve the learning experiences of students by creating working relationships with the Baylor and Waco communities. For example, in Small Group Communication (CSS 3304), my students work with nonprofits in the Waco area to accomplish diverse projects grounded in communication, such as coordinating fundraising events, facilitating common ground in periods of mergers, formulating marketing strategies and PR campaigns, and learning how to become skilled in website design. Through these assignments, students gain valuable real-world experience in group collaboration, decision-making, conflict, creativity, and organizational change and technology.