I WAS BORN IN TEXAS AND RAISED IN TRAILER PARKS ACROSS NORTH-CENTRAL TEXAS. MY FATHER WAS IN THE UNITED AUTO WORKERS UNION AND MY MOTHER WORKED FOR A FABRIC COMPANY. AFTER HIGH-SCHOOL, I BECAME THE FIRST IN MY FAMILY TO ATTEND COLLEGE AND ACCEPTED A MUSIC SCHOLARSHIP TO TEXAS CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY (TCU).I GRADUATED WITH A B.S. IN COMMUNICATION STUDIES AND MARRIED A FELLOW TCU HORNED FROG BEFORE MOVING TO PHILADELPHIA. THERE, I EARNED A MASTER OF DIVINITY DEGREE WITH AN EMPHASIS IN COUNSELING FROM WESTMINSTER THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY. THEN, I WORKED IN HIGHER EDUCATION ADMINISTRATION AT COLBY-SAWYER COLLEGE, DREXEL UNIVERSITY, AND THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN, BEFORE RETURNING TO EARN MY DOCTORATE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA-LINCOLN, WHERE I EARNED A PH.D. IN COMMUNICATION - RHETORIC AND PUBLIC CULTURE. CURRENTLY, MY WIFE AND OUR THREE CHILDREN LIVE IN LINCOLN, NE WHILE I SERVE AS RESIDENT ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AT CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY.