The above photographs are among my favorite keepsakes. I don’t remember much about the day itself, but I can assert confidently that the dynamic captured in these images is representative of the dynamic between me and my grandfather on any given day. More specifically, I look for my next mission. And even when he has to run—literally or figuratively—Grandpa remains behind …Read More >
The InStepp Blog: Our Perspective
Visit the InStepp Blog often to get our perspective on issues and local events. Our bloggers continually scan the internet looking for news, ideas and other information of potential interest to our readers.
A Profile of Immigrants in North Carolina
North Carolina, like many states in the US, is comprised of vibrant and diverse immigrant communities. Immigrants make up 8% of the state’s population and 10% of its workforce, contributing billions of dollars of taxes and pouring hundreds of billions in spending-power into North Carolina’s economy every year, according to 2015 statistics from the American Immigration …Read More >
New Year’s Resolutions
When I was younger, I would make New Year’s resolutions that I was never able to keep. After a while, I gave up on making them. A few years ago, I came up with a simple one: to always seek to be my best self and a better person in general. For this year, my 2019 resolution was to find a new job by May 1st. It didn’t happen exactly then, but by the end of May, I had a new …Read More >
It’s the Most Heartbreaking Time of the Year
I don’t ‘come from money,’ so holidays have never been about receiving the latest technological innovations or a plethora of gifts. I don’t come from a large, close-knit family, so I don’t have stories about favorite, long-held holiday traditions. In college, I spent the holidays working, glad for a place to go. In grad school, I spent them at the movie theater with my …Read More >
Kendra: A Year Later
My oldest sister, Kendra, was the jokester in the family. She always made everyone laugh. She was an Aries, a fire sign like me, and was naturally stubborn and bull-headed. But that wasn’t always a bad thing. She had a strong personality and a lively spirit. I never thought that I would have to be in this world without her, not for a long time. Yet her life was cut …Read More >
The Complexities of Triumph
Students sometimes ask me if my Ph.D. was “worth it”—the financial, psychological, and physical sacrifices I made to earn it. For years, I answered honestly with, “It depends on the day.” Over the past year and a half, however, as I have settled in a new place and taken on a new position, I feel lucky to be able to more often offer a confident “yes.” Still, I remain aware …Read More >