Taking walks outside and seeing the splendor of the color-changing leaves has always given me great solace and happiness. This year I am even more grateful to be able to walk outside and take in the beauty of nature.

I am grateful that my daughter could be vaccinated this fall. She is the youngest of the family and the last one to be able to get the vaccine. I am grateful to science and to all the health workers, and to the resilience and adaptability that so many have demonstrated. It really takes a village.

I am thankful for so many things: to be part of the amazing UR family that keeps me safe and healthy, to keeping my job, to being able to see my family — twice this year compared with last year, which was not at all — to the ability to work from anywhere (thank you, Zoom). And to staying positive no matter what.

In addition to my family, I’m thankful for our students, who have approached this semester with a renewed passion for creating a vibrant and inclusive learning environment. Their perseverance is inspiring, and it’s wonderful to learn with them in person.

Every year I am grateful for good health, family, and friends. As I reflect on this past year, I am particularly thankful to see progress toward resuming normal life after the pandemic — simple things like family and social gatherings are most meaningful to me. At Heilman Dining Center, things have been quite challenging due to the pandemic. Words cannot express how thankful I am for the overwhelming support that our department has received from the University, as well as many caring and compassionate individuals of the campus community that volunteered to assist us. I am honored and proud to be part of such a dynamic team!

My answer is very simple: The 3Fs — family, friends, and food!

This year, I am thankful for my family being in good health. COVID-19 is still affecting people everywhere, and I am grateful that those close to me have been able to stay safe throughout the pandemic. I'm also thankful that despite how skewed our ‘norm’ has become over the past year and half, I have been able to receive a mostly in-person education from amazing professors and mentors.

After starting a full-time faculty position in the fall of 2020 during the height of the pandemic, I am most grateful to connect and reconnect with students this fall in our hybrid model. Rotating our weekly meetings allows us to keep the best of what we learned about online instruction, while still preserving time for in-person lessons and activities. It’s the best of both worlds. I also look forward to some down time with my family and friends.

I am thankful for so much. Of course, first and foremost is the health and happiness of my loved ones. I am grateful for school being in person and for the beautiful weather and abundance of food at the farmer’s market. I am grateful for sweet dogs who remind us to smile no matter what has happened in our day. And I am super grateful for my wonderful colleagues who have made working smooth, supportive, and enjoyable the past couple of years.

On a personal level, Thanksgiving is always an exciting time to express joy that I have a healthy family, an outstanding vocation, and opportunities to travel, which were not possible this time last year. Looking at it from a Native perspective, as a citizen of the Lumbee Nation, it’s also an important time to reflect on our history, which can be painful. This year marks the 400th anniversary of that first Thanksgiving, which was held in 1621. The Wampanoags call this a day of mourning as they suffered enormously during the course of the next several hundred years at the hands of those they and other Native peoples had befriended. So, that’s also on my mind when I think about Thanksgiving.

I am extremely thankful for the support and encouragement from my mentors and friends, as well as the many opportunities that are presented to me here at the University, especially working in the Parish Research Lab.