Introduction

Everyone deserves love and belonging. My work focuses on storytelling and advocacy with the aim that no person is treated as unworthy.

In all my work, the undercurrent is interpersonal and organizational communication that re-humanizes conversations about grief, trauma, sex trafficking, and ableism.

Because people matter, I work with companies and non-profits to meet keynote speaker and writer needs, on a variety of topics rooted in shared humanity & mundane courage.

Education

M.A.Ed., SPECIAL EDUCATION

East Carolina University, 2009

Focused studies/specializations: child development; curriculum modifications; inclusive education; diversity, equity, and inclusion training; disability in Christian history; healthcare systems to support disabled people

B.A., INTERPERSONAL & ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION

University of North Carolina, 2003

Focused studies/specializations: psychology of interpersonal communication; consulting and developing improvement plans for non-profits; trauma, grief, and mental health; the mechanisms of hate groups and hate speech

Experience

Writer, Speaker, Activist @ Shannon Dingle, 2009-present

Bylines at USA TODAY, Teen Vogue, the Washington Post, Sojourners, Religious News Service, Insider, and SELF.

Work and story featured by all major local, national, and international news outlets, including CNN, PBS, Good Morning America, BBC, Al Jazeera, and CBS News, and mentioned on television shows, including the premiere of the 2020 Party of Five reboot.

Living Brave, grief memoir released by Harper One in July 2021: at its heart, it’s a story of becoming a widow & surviving the worst thing, with threads of changing beliefs, radical acceptance, and bloody hope interwoven throughout.

Most common speaking topics are Living Brave in the Ordinary; We Don’t Sugarcoat Grief Here; What Sex Trafficking Looks Like: Myth and Truth; What Is Ableism?; & Communication as Connection.

Managing Editor @ Level Ground, 2017-2019

Founding managing editor for an online pop culture magazine exploring the intersection of faith and queerness.

Managed a team of regular and guest writers through their pieces, from pitch through edits and fact-checking to publication.

Worked with Level Ground, the non-profit publishing SKEW, to highlight work by marginalized groups.

Teacher & Education Consultant @ various, 2003-present

Consulted on special educator training and student evaluation for Teach For America (TFA) and school district reorganization in New Orleans after Katrina. Continued consulting for both families and school districts in special education plans, law, and implementation. Perform disability audits for faith-based organizations, primary in their gathering spaces, and provide support for executing recommendations.

Taught middle school special education writing in Rio Grande City, TX. Earned a grant from National Education Association (NEA) to build a library of high-interest books for middle schoolers whose reading level is low. Secured several sets of class sets of novels to read together.

Co-taught high school inclusion biology, college readiness, and curriculum assistance across all subjects in Raleigh, NC