Jeannette Novakovich

Back home in Nebraska on my father's ranch was where I learned to endure grit and trial, chopping weeds, herding cattle and bearing the brunt of flying hooves while branding. The men would mostly yell at the girls when they helped. We often got hurt, trampled and knocked about. This life sent me on my feet heading elsewhere; decades later, the memories of the cattlemen, their tattered hats, lean frames and pipe tobacco are filtered with sorrow. The cowboys, I knew, are all buried.During that time away, I spent too many years pursuing education BA's, BS's, MA's, and MS's; I earned one of each:) However, raising a family and having the opportunity to live in Europe waylaid my plans to complete a PhD and happily I'm close to completing one in Educational Technology at Concordia University in Montreal.At Concordia University, I've taught a number of writing courses for the Professional Writing Minor Program. I've also developed several course websites and a portfolio site for students enrolled in the program, Portfolio-remix.com, to showcase their work; in addition, I founded Montréalités in order to provide my students with a forum for finding their voice.During my summers, I return back home to Nebraska. Now, it's only women, my mother, daughter and I, who remain among the living. Together, we pass our days sifting through sandy creeks, searching for fossils, and polka dancing in country ballrooms.What I understand about writing and life is that you can go anywhere in the virtual world and accomplish many feats, but it's the landscape of your community where you will find your words and your meaning.