I want to start by thanking my supervisor, Dr. Heather Peters, for her support throughout this project, as well as Professor Dave Sangha for his encouragement and guidance. I would also like to thank my committee members, Dr. Catherine Nolin and Professor Dawn Hemingway, for their invaluable input. Thank you to my mom, Steph, Lauren, and Grace who helped with editing, and thank you to all those who donated their time as participants in this study. Your efforts remind me of the good that can be accomplished by passionate individuals. I appreciate the role you have had in this research but above all else, I want to express my gratitude for the everyday work that you do. Finally, I want to acknowledge my partner, Ian Kerr, for his role in making this thesis a reality. His unwavering support and his unconditional love allowed me to pursue this project and for that I am incredibly grateful. It might be my name listed on the document, but the everyday efforts that went into producing this thesis belong to the both of us.