Acknowledgments

This capstone would not have been possible without the support of my family, friends, and my amazing professors at American University. First, I want to thank my advisor, Dr. Juliet Bellow, for her guidance, support, and encouragement throughout the research and writing process. I am also thankful to Dr. Joanne Allen and Dr. Jordan Amirkhani for their exceptional insight and advice as my project developed.

I am deeply thankful for my cohort peers who always supported and encouraged each other throughout this challenging and rewarding process. I specifically want to thank Esther Rodríguez Cámara for her friendship, kindness, and web design advice while I built my website.  I also want to thank Kate Hatcher, Evie Kalfaian, and Katie Harnett – words cannot express my gratitude for their friendship and encouragement during some of the most trying times of the past two years.

Finally, I want to thank my family for their love and support. Thank you to my brother Kyle for the hours-long phone calls and much-needed laughter when I first moved away from home to pursue my academic goals. My unending gratitude and appreciation goes to my parents, Linda and Brian. They were there for me each step along the way with unwavering love and support. I cannot thank my family enough for always believing in me, especially when I didn’t believe in myself. Thank you.