ii iii DEDICATION The academic journey for the past three years and the fmal product presented here have required significant support -much more than I had ever anticipated-and although my thanks are heartfelt, they can never fully express the deep appreciation I have for the love, kindness and help that have been provided to me to achieve this goal. This is dedicated to all of those that have helped me along the way: My present and future achievements rest upon the academic foundation that my

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... revious teachers and professors provided me. I thank all my teachers, but particularly those excellent educators that were able to balance the difficult task of supporting my learning while simultaneously pushing me out of my comfort zone. I can't thank you enough: Ms. Tomooka, Ms. Farwick, Mr. Kovacs, Ms. Brown