Acknowledgments

A special thank you to God for blessing me with the opportunity and creativity to bring my ideas and research to life. Also, to my parents and younger sisters who have been holding me down while I survived graduate school. I am also grateful to my friends and family who have supported me as I blazed my own path and stayed true to myself.  Having friends who encourage me to keep going even when things get tough and accept me for showing up as myself, has been everything. I am appreciative of my previous experiences and those who have all played a role in molding me into the scientist that I am today. Last but not least as Snoop Dogg said, “I want to thank me”. I showed up even when the going got tough and even though initially my professors, colleagues, and peers did not see my vision, I remained resilient. I not only forged my own path, but I also created a platform to share my work and inspire other scientists to do the same.