Chris Hubbard ('20 M.S.) is a natural servant leader. It's a trait passed down from his grandmother, from whom he learned life skills and how to take care of others.

"You could call her any time and she'd help you out. She was that person for our family," he says.

Hubbard earned his bachelor's degree in general studies at West Texas A&M University and his master's in interdisciplinary studies at UNT, where he teaches career and professional development classes as an adjunct professor. Hubbard also is an assistant minister at Christian Campus Community, a student organization.

Through his church, Singing Oaks Church of Christ in Denton, he had the opportunity to go on a mission trip to Honduras in July 2023, where he worked alongside Predisan, a nonprofit that delivers health care to people in remote areas.

The trip was life-changing for Hubbard and made him reevaluate what is important to him. He went to Honduras again this year and plans to serve on additional mission trips in the future.

He has advice for those looking to help others.

• Do some self-exploration. Ask yourself where you feel called to help. "What need are you seeing? How can you make yourself available to help?"
• Start small. He says everyone can help, even in the smallest ways, such as cooking someone a meal.
• Step out of your comfort zone. "Understand that serving is intentional and be OK with the experience not looking like you imagined."
• Do it for the right reasons. Hubbard encourages everyone to serve in any capacity -- large or small. "Lean into what you're passionate about and be OK that nobody but yourself and God sees what you've done."

– Christiana Flores

Erin Jewell ('21 M.S.) is an award-winning librarian at Griffin Middle School in The Colony. But even after hours, her librarian brain is working in the background.

Recently, when her husband shared a meme about Steve from Blue's Clues marrying Loonette from The Big Comfy Couch, she was suspicious.

Sure enough, the images in the meme were repurposed photos from a charity event. The two had no romantic history.

"I 'library' most of the time in my life, and it's very hard to turn it off," she says.

With search engines, fact-checking information from social media can be done in just a few moments.

• Don't believe everything. Just because a friend shares a cute or funny meme, it doesn't mean you can believe it.
• Triangulate. "I always teach my students to find it in multiple places," Jewell says. Comparing sources can help you verify something you've seen online or help you get the full picture if something is taken out of context.
• Evaluate your sources. "I always want to see where it's from," she says. "If it's from a reputable, major source of information, I'm going to believe it more." It's also important to look at dates when articles are published. Did this just happen, or is it news from several years ago?

As much fun as it is to share memes, Jewell does her due diligence. "I don't question everything I see online because I don't have time for that. But I want to double-check it before I share it because I feel like that's what's responsible."

– Walker Smart

Growing up in Chicago, College of Science clinical associate professor James Bednarz wasn't exposed to nature every day, but that didn't stop his curiosity about wildlife. Going on hunting and fishing trips with his dad and watching The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau were some of his earliest nature memories.

Now as an avian ecologist, Bednarz has observed birds on six continents and dedicated more than three decades to studying how avian species -- such as the red-shouldered hawk, painted bunting and American kestrel -- live and interact with their environments.

For recreation, he enjoys birdwatching, or "birding." It's an activity for all skill levels and encourages healthful habits such as getting outside and walking.

"When you see a bird up close with a pair of binoculars, it's pretty spectacular," Bednarz says. "Their beauty can't even be captured properly in a photograph."

• Get up early and immerse yourself in nature. Birds are most active in the early morning and in parks and natural areas with plenty of greenspaces and water. Start with paved trails at parks and venture up to more extensive hikes at nature preserves.
• Add bird-friendly elements to yards. Planting native plants and trees as well as installing a bird feeder stocked with a mix of black sunflower and millet seeds can attract birds.
• Seek out birding resources. Apps like Merlin Bird ID can identify birds by their song. For connecting with other birders, the National Audubon Society has local chapters. Check community calendars for bird walks and other guided nature tours in local areas.

– Heather Noel

As a parent, wife, student and full-time employee, Alexis Miller ('11, '22 M.Ed.) understands the challenge of balancing multiple roles and the fear of falling short. She's a graduate research assistant working on her fourth degree -- a doctorate in educational leadership.

But she knows how to combat the "Sunday Scaries," intense anxieties felt before a new work or school week, especially when a long to-do list is looming. "Having a strong understanding of the different roles you play is crucial," Miller says. "Preparing for each role involves both proactive measures and day-of strategies."

• Find joy on Sundays. Engage in enjoyable activities, such as watching a favorite show or calling a friend.
• Plan with a calendar. Use a color-coded calendar to organize tasks and assignments.
• Prepare the night before. Throughout the week, set up items like bags and lunches and choose and prepare your clothes the night before for a smooth routine the next morning.
• Start early. Begin each day earlier to mentally prepare and ease into the day.
• Breathe deeply. Use deep breathing to manage stress and stay calm.

"You need to know both your roles and your values. For me, education drives me," Miller says.

"I find strength in my supportive family and the chance to contribute to my field."

– Devynn Case

Frustrated adults can express when they are feeling angry, but it's not the same for children. "As adults, we have developed our vocabulary over decades and, so our source for communicating a feeling is pretty wide," says Dalena Dillman-Taylor ('10 M.A., '13 Ph.D.), associate professor in the College of Education. "Children don't have that range of emotions to pull from, which creates a limited cognitive ability to express themselves in a way that can be healing." As an expert in play therapy, she helps children with adverse experiences in a way that is developmentally appropriate for them.

• Seek to understand. With children, every behavior is purposeful. In children with difficult early experiences especially, this can lead to disruptive behaviors, outbursts, anxiety or depression.
• Provide one-on-one time with your child. Just eight minutes a day can fulfill a child's need to feel supported. "A small portion of your day spent on the floor, playing with your child and allowing them to lead that play, can be so beneficial," Dillman-Taylor says. "It not only strengthens your relationship with your child, but it also can really help mitigate any of those adverse events they may have experienced."
• The purpose of play therapy is beyond 'fun.' Children need consistent, repetitive and positive experiences with supportive adults in their life to offset whatever the adverse experiences were. "When you are sick, you go to the doctor to get medication. The same is true when a child is struggling with how to cope. They need support too," Dillman-Taylor says. "Mental and emotional wellbeing is just as important as physical wellbeing."

– Shelby Bahnick

Listening to jazz musicians, such as Miles Davis or John Coltrane, can take concentration, says Rob Parton, chair of jazz studies in the College of Music.

"But once you get there, then you're like, 'Oh, man, it's just amazing what he was doing.'"

Here's how to listen to this genre of music:

• Start by finding the song's original melody. "The melody and chord changes keep going throughout the song," he says. "Make it a game to sing the melody to yourself while someone is soloing. 'Oh, wow! I start to see how that person on saxophone or trumpet or trombone is making up their solo over the chord changes while improvising a new melody.'"
• Follow the harmonies. "Once the melody is gone, the harmonies are still there and as you start recognizing those you go, 'Oh, I know that song.' And you're not even hearing the melody, or you just recognize the chord changes."
• Keep an eye out for secret signals and teamwork. How do the musicians know when to come in? The leader will often point to the forehead if they're going to the "head" of the song -- the melody. If the leader points to the nose, they're going to the "bridge."
• Show the band some love. The crowd gets involved, following the African tradition of rain dances when the entire community participated. "We feed off of people after we play a solo and everybody claps," Parton says. "It really fires up the band."

– Jessica DeLeón

Humans generate 92 million tons of textile waste a year, but keeping garments for years is not only helping the environment.

"It's fun to wear your own vintage," says Michele Alford ('95), a fashion design alumna who has designed clothes for the Russell-Newman Manufacturing Company in Denton, managed the costume studio at Texas Christian University and worked for the national tour of Hamilton when it came to Dallas and Fort Worth this summer.

Here are her tips to extend the life of garments:

• Start with what you buy. Fast fashion makes clothing affordable, but it only lasts for a few wears. Look for natural fibers, such as garments with 100% cotton instead of 100% polyester. "If we really focused on purchasing the highest quality things, we are able to wear it years and decades into the future," she says.
• Take time with washing. Follow instructions on the code care label. Separate the items by color in case the dyes run. Make sure all buttons and zippers are fastened. If you can line dry clothes, it's better. If you have to use a dryer, dryer balls will help it run faster.
• If you get a stain, treat it as soon as possible. Search for home remedies online. And don't toss it in the dryer until the stain is out.
• Mend clothes and shoes as soon as you find a problem. A tailor and cobbler can help out. "They are magicians," she says. "They can just do all kinds of things."

– Jessica DeLeón

Do you ever find yourself forgetting words on some days? This can be a normal part of aging, says Stacy Nunnelee, principal lecturer and undergraduate director for the Department of Audiology and Speech Language Pathology in the College of Health and Public Service. "Our cognitive skills are important because they help us to get through our day with the ability to make decisions and choices, remember where we are and where we are going next, and to focus on our daily tasks," Nunnelee says. "Without good cognitive health, our physical health could decline." Follow her advice to maintain your attention, memory and problem solving as you age.

• Play games and do other fun activities. Cognitive training programs use games to exercise the brain. Nunnelee also recommends having a healthy social life, planting a garden or reading to keep the brain in shape.
• Learn something new. Acquiring a new hobby or skill exercises your brain while also creating neural pathways and building up cognitive reserve. Learning how to play an instrument, how to paint or even how to roller skate are some ways you can keep your brain and yourself happy.
• Start even when you think it's too late. Everyone experiences declining response times and reflexes as they age, but you can slow down the aging process within your brain. "Believe it or not, if you stretched and trained enough, you could be just as flexible as you got older as you were when you were younger," Nunnelee says. "You could do the splits! In a similar way, without the intrusion of disease or trauma, we can maintain our memory and thinking skills as long as we're practicing and using them."

– Tiarra Drisker

Whether you are planning for vacation, retirement or buying a home, effective money management will help accomplish your goal. David Frazier ('10), senior vice president for member services at DATCU, offers the following tips to make your financial goals a reality.

• Have a financial plan. "Your plan is your budget. Know what you want your money to do for you," Frazier says. "For example, to save for a down payment for a home, you have to have a plan for saving toward your goal."
• Keep track of your expenses. "Spending expenses should be less than your income and the remainder put into a savings account," he says. "Every dollar should have a name. Label your money in categories such as 'food' or 'car payment.'"
• Create a plan for retirement and an emergency fund. "You should save at least a few months' worth of expenses should something unexpected arise," Frazier says. "If your employer offers a 401K plan, then I highly recommend contributing. Oftentimes, they'll match a certain dollar amount or a percentage. Start contributing as soon as possible."
• Get advice from professionals. "If you ever want to ask questions or even take out a loan, then it's good to be familiar with your bank, credit union or financial institution and their services," Frazier says. "They would be happy to help."

– Tiarra Drisker