To those that feel they need to follow a path -you don'tLast, but most importantly, I want to thank my partner, Jenna Marie Kremer, for all her love and support over the years. She believed in myself more than I ever could and without her, none of this would have been possible. From the very first moment we met, she encouraged and supported me. After my acceptance into the PhD program at Northeastern University, she made the decision to move across the country with me -and proved how sometimes the best plans are the ones we do not make ourselves. There have been many challenges since, both expected and very unexpected, but we have faced them together. Those who have obtained a PhD undoubtedly know that it not only contains trials of intelligence, but also those of spirit. The resilience needed to finish a dissertation, both the research and the writing, is more than I would have ever predicted.Jenna has been my pillar the entire time; I survived the trials of spirit, the difficulties of research, with her to listen, comfort, challenge, and encourage, every step of the way. She makes me want to strive for the best I can, in every aspect of life, and I have accomplished more than I expected during my time as a graduate student, and it is with much thanks to her.