Looking back, I’ve come to realize that I loved philosophy before I even knew it was a field of study and practice. My favorite part of English class in high school was when I was exposed to the works of Emerson and Thoreau. Not yet knowing that this was philosophy, I was invoked to begin a practice of critical thinking and questioning that has continued to this day. Even though I entered college for pre-veterinary studies, after my first formal course in Philosophy I knew this field was for me, and went on to earn an M.A. and a Ph.D. in Philosophy. I am fortunate to have been researching, writing, and teaching what I love for the past 25 years. My work has informed other areas of my life as well: family, photography, and civic engagement.