In this course, we will explore the internal stories we tell ourselves and the external stories we tell others. Our internal stories define us, and our attitudes and emotions toward ourselves. Our external stories are outward-focused and lean toward a conversational resume, to some extent. We will consider our life as a series of chapters, or phases, and spend time investigating what our current story/stories are. We will also explore how we envision our future story. Our course will be interactive and discussion-based, and by the end of our six weeks together, participants will have a future story to share.

Jennifer (Jen) Baker, PhD is an expert in the interdependence of communication theory and practice. She has been teaching communication courses for over 20 years, starting at the University of Texas at Austin, then the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and now at Columbia College Chicago and Northwestern University. Baker has worked at a marketing company, an engineering firm, and a variety of educational institutions. She teaches practicum courses where she can champion both the theory of communication and the practical nature of interactions through the experiential learning model. Baker has been awarded a Distinguished Teaching Award and has been called the happiest professor that a student has ever known.