Within a month of graduating from the University of Vermont, Annika Powell Paradise left the shores of safety and served in the Peace Corps in Thailand. She taught English in a rural high school and trained teachers in English Language pedagogy. When she returned to the US, she worked in refugee resettlement before earning her MA in Education from Stanford University. Over the next five years, Annika taught in both public high and middle schools. In 2003, Annika began working at Naropa University as adjunct faculty teaching both creative and research writing skills. She also coached students at the Naropa Writing Center. From 2005-2015, Annika focused on caring for her three kids, four chickens, two ducks, one husband and a pug. Currently she enjoys the flexibility of working one-on-one with students as well as furthering her own writing.