Rodeos, tea ceremonies, and moose have been a major part of my life to date. Originally from small town Oklahoma, I was first introduced to the discipline of Communication at Southwest Baptist University, where I earned a BA in Communication and a BA in Sociology. After completing an MA in Communication from Missouri State University, I ventured to Nara, Japan for a two year stint teaching English and cultural classes in the countryside. This opportunity allowed me to live out the daily challenges, stresses, and delight cultural communication offers. However, I missed the joy of teaching Communication. This led me to the moose infested campus of the University of Alaska Anchorage.
I look forward to combining my love for culture, communication, and health at OU. As a resident foreigner in Japan I learned firsthand how scary health experiences may be when a lack of understanding, cultural difference, or foreign methodology is presented. I will never forget the initial fear and confusion I felt the morning my Japanese supervisor instructed me to take off my shirt in the windowless van parked in front of my school’s gymnasium. I later learned this was a routine health exam. Another health examination involved being led behind a cubicle, instructed to lie down on a table, and watching claps and pads attached here and there. These instances revealed to me the vital need for health communication research, action, and insight for international populations worldwide. My experiences as a foreigner in Japan helped me understand how my love for communication and desire for social change may become one solid altering force.