I've been pretty geeky my whole life. From playing video games for as long as I can remember, to old photos of me reading Spider-Man comics as a kid, to pretending to be all my favorite superheroes with my brother and my friends when we'd play outside as kids. I've always been obsessively into the things I love, wanting to know everything I can, and always appreciated learning and doing well in school. I was kind of awkward and quirky, which led to me not having the best time making friends, but I could at least always escape in the worlds of my favorite video games.

Life was hard for me at times because of my geeky tendencies. I'd sometimes rather engage in my own personal interests then go out and do anything else, or care to connect with other people based on what they were into. I eventually grew to appreciate my own enthusiasm for what I was into, and work to appreciate the same energy and passion in others. People love to talk about what they're into, so I found a way to connect and make friends even if we didn't share my niche interests.

Reading books like Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth and Nerds helped me come to terms with my geeky personality. It wasn't a flaw, like I felt for so long (especially during my hormonal teenage years). It was an asset I could use to my advantage. I could showcase my geek pride in my office and it would help me, not hinder me. There were other people who struggled like me, I wasn't the only one.

Creating this site and being a part of programs like Rutgers Geek Week and connecting with professionals in higher education who care about this stuff has really helped me develop as I continue through the early phase of my career. While I don't know what the next few years will exactly look like, I at least have a lot more confidence in myself and have a positive outlook for the future.

This #SAGeeks series will seek to shine a light on others like me who live an especially geeky life and work in the realm of higher education and student affairs. They geek out about a lot of different things; theater, board games, professional wrestling, comics, and much more. They'll talk about the highs and lows of being geeks/nerds and proudly featuring your passions. You'll hear from professionals all over the country. I encourage you to reach out and geek out with them!

Also, shout out to my editors Jenn Osolinski and Lynne Meyer who approached me with the idea in the first place. And check out my resources page for more geeky goodness.