I believe that higher education is not just a privilege, but a necessity. The ways extended education pique curiosity, and help expand one's scope of knowledge not just on various scholarly topics, but in interpersonal relations, is integral to furthering a person's understanding of themselves and how they fit in to the global community. My college journey looks different from many of my colleagues'; I started at a four-year university in New York City, far from home. Family circumstances brought me back to the midwest the next year, and I then attended my local community college. After a year and a half in that environment, I came to Iowa for the first time to participate in the Summer Writing Festival and fell in love with the town - so I enrolled at the University of Iowa the following winter. Due to the crooked path I went down, including changing majors after my first year, it took me five years to graduate with my undergraduate degree. Since then, I've invested in my own continuing education, earning certificates in skill-based and DEI-based areas. I feel privileged myself to be working at the University of Iowa Health Care (UIHC), supporting learners as part of our tripartite mission through the broad world of communications and marketing. While I gained specific and useful skills in other industries, such as small businesses and private retail, giving back to the community that helped grow me is especially satisfying for me.