When I was 15, my 21-year-old-brother died of a cancer no one had seen before. His compassionate physician helped us navigate teams of oncologists and wade through his very short journey—three weeks from hospital to grave. My world was shattered. He was my hero. I dove into the one area that could help me navigate my intense emotions and my passion for life: theater. I started professional actor training the next summer, and that decision has taken me from an acting career to a teaching career that now addresses the impacts of caring on patients and their families.