diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index e66b725..efb68c4 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -7,6 +7,18 @@
     <groupId>io.zipcoder</groupId>
     <artifactId>collections</artifactId>
     <version>1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
+    <build>
+        <plugins>
+            <plugin>
+                <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
+                <artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
+                <configuration>
+                    <source>1.8</source>
+                    <target>1.8</target>
+                </configuration>
+            </plugin>
+        </plugins>
+    </build>
 
     <dependencies>
         <dependency>
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/zipcoder/PairedChecker.java b/src/main/java/io/zipcoder/PairedChecker.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..84263b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/java/io/zipcoder/PairedChecker.java
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+package io.zipcoder;
+import java.util.EmptyStackException;
+import java.util.Stack;
+
+public class PairedChecker {
+
+    /**
+     * Check to see if opening and closing characters are balanced in String input
+     * @param opening token
+     * @param closing token
+     * @param input string to scan
+     * @return true if all opening tokens match all closing tokens
+     * Catch exception and return false if try to pop off an empty stack
+     */
+    public boolean check(Character opening, Character closing, String input) {
+        Stack<Character> stack = new Stack<Character>();
+        for (int i = 0; i < input.length(); i++) {
+            Character value = input.charAt(i);
+            if (value.equals(opening)) {
+                stack.push(value);
+            } else if (value.equals(closing)) {
+                try {
+                    stack.pop();
+                }
+                catch (EmptyStackException ex) {
+                    return false;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        return stack.isEmpty();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Specific for opening and closing chars that are the same char, ie "" and ''
+     * @param quote token used for both opening and closing
+     * @param input string to scan
+     * @return true if the tokens are evenly distributed in the string
+     */
+    public boolean checkSame(Character quote, String input) {
+        int count = 0;
+        for(int i = 0; i < input.length(); i++){
+            if( quote.equals(input.charAt(i))){
+                count++;
+            }
+        }
+        return count%2 == 0;
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/zipcoder/ParenChecker.java b/src/main/java/io/zipcoder/ParenChecker.java
index caee675..8111ff9 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/zipcoder/ParenChecker.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/zipcoder/ParenChecker.java
@@ -1,4 +1,30 @@
 package io.zipcoder;
 
+import java.util.Stack;
+
 public class ParenChecker {
-}
+
+    private PairedChecker checker;
+
+    public ParenChecker() {
+        this.checker = new PairedChecker();
+    }
+
+
+    /**
+     * Check to see if open and closing paren's are balanced
+     *
+     * @param inputString string that is iterated over
+     * @return true if all parenthesis in string are matched
+     */
+    public boolean check(String inputString) {
+        PairedChecker checker = new PairedChecker();
+        return checker.check('(', ')', inputString) &&
+                checker.check('{', '}', inputString) &&
+                checker.check('[', ']', inputString) &&
+                checker.check('<', '>', inputString) &&
+                checker.checkSame('"', inputString) &&
+                checker.checkSame('\'', inputString);
+    }
+
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/zipcoder/WC.java b/src/main/java/io/zipcoder/WC.java
index babb68c..618514a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/zipcoder/WC.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/zipcoder/WC.java
@@ -2,22 +2,62 @@
 
 import java.io.FileNotFoundException;
 import java.io.FileReader;
-import java.util.Iterator;
-import java.util.Scanner;
+import java.util.*;
 
 public class WC {
-    private Iterator<String> si;
+    private Iterator<String> stringIterator;
+    private TreeMap<String, Integer> map;
 
     public WC(String fileName) {
         try {
-            this.si = new Scanner(new FileReader(fileName));
+            this.stringIterator = new Scanner(new FileReader(fileName));
+            this.map = new TreeMap<String, Integer>();
+            this.parseAndCountWords();
         } catch (FileNotFoundException e) {
             System.out.println(fileName + " Does Not Exist");
             System.exit(-1);
         }
     }
 
-    public WC(Iterator<String> si) {
-        this.si = si;
+    private void parseAndCountWords() {
+        while (this.stringIterator.hasNext()) {
+            String s = this.stringIterator.next().toLowerCase().replaceAll("[^\\w]", "");
+            Integer count = this.map.getOrDefault(s, 0);
+            this.map.put(s, count+1);
+        }
+    }
+
+
+    public String toString() {
+        ArrayList<Map.Entry<String, Integer>> sortedValues = new ArrayList<>();
+        this.map.entrySet()
+                .stream()
+                .sorted(Map.Entry.<String, Integer>comparingByValue().reversed())
+                .forEach(sortedValues::add);
+        StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
+        for (Map.Entry<String, Integer> entry : sortedValues) {
+            sb.append(entry.getKey()).append(" = ").append(entry.getValue()).append("\n");
+        }
+
+        return sb.toString();
+    }
+
+    public void print() {
+        System.out.println(this.toString());
+    }
+
+    public static void main(String[] args) {
+        //WC wc = new WC("/Users/kaitrinahigh/Downloads/47366-0.txt");
+        WC testFile = new WC("/Users/kaitrinahigh/Dev/CR-MesoLabs-Collections-EncapsulativeCharacters/src/main/resources/someTextFile.txt");
+        testFile.print();
+
     }
 }
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
diff --git a/src/main/resources/someTextFile.txt b/src/main/resources/someTextFile.txt
index e69de29..0df0ad1 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/someTextFile.txt
+++ b/src/main/resources/someTextFile.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+Strive for progress, not perfection.
+The expert in everything was once a beginner.
+Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.
+
+
+
+
diff --git a/src/test/java/io/zipcoder/ParenCheckerTest.java b/src/test/java/io/zipcoder/ParenCheckerTest.java
index 76aa3b6..8597916 100644
--- a/src/test/java/io/zipcoder/ParenCheckerTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/io/zipcoder/ParenCheckerTest.java
@@ -2,7 +2,70 @@
 
 import org.junit.Assert;
 import org.junit.Test;
-
+import org.junit.Assert;
+import org.junit.Before;
+import org.junit.Test;
 public class ParenCheckerTest {
 
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+    private ParenChecker checker;
+
+    @Before
+    public void setup() {
+        this.checker = new ParenChecker();
+    }
+
+    @Test //happyPath
+    public void checkBaseCase() {
+        boolean result = this.checker.check("()");
+        Assert.assertTrue(result);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void checkBraceBaseCase() {
+        boolean result = this.checker.check("[[<'cats'>''''][{}][()]]");
+        Assert.assertTrue(result);
+    }
+
+    @Test //happy path even quote
+    public void checkDoubleQuoteBaseCase() {
+        boolean result = this.checker.check("\"\"\"\"\"\"");
+        Assert.assertTrue(result);
+    }
+
+    @Test //happy path even single quote
+    public void checkSingleQuoteBaseCase() {
+        boolean result = this.checker.check("\'\'\'\'\'\'");
+        Assert.assertTrue(result);
+    }
+
+    @Test //happy path even mixed quote
+    public void checkMixedQuoteBaseCase() {
+        boolean result = this.checker.check("\"\'\'\'\'\'\'\"\"\"\"\"");
+        Assert.assertTrue(result);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void checkExtraBraceBaseCase() {
+        boolean result = this.checker.check("[[<cats>>][{}][()]]");
+        Assert.assertFalse(result);
+    }
+    @Test //left char left paren, final check checks to see if stack is empty
+    public void checkFailingBaseCase() {
+        boolean result = this.checker.check("()(");
+        Assert.assertFalse(result);
+    }
+
+    @Test //tried to pop a second time on an emptyStack
+    public void checkExceptionCaughtAndThrowsFalseBaseCase() {
+        boolean result = this.checker.check("())");
+        Assert.assertFalse(result);
+    }
+
+    @Test //ignore other char checks
+    public void checkOtherCharsIgnoredBaseCase() {
+        boolean result = this.checker.check("(jklm86&)");
+        Assert.assertTrue(result);
+    }
+}
+
+
diff --git a/src/test/java/io/zipcoder/WCTest.java b/src/test/java/io/zipcoder/WCTest.java
index 895e831..a1f02a7 100644
--- a/src/test/java/io/zipcoder/WCTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/io/zipcoder/WCTest.java
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package io.zipcoder;
 
 import org.junit.Assert;
+import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
 import java.util.ArrayList;
@@ -8,4 +9,33 @@
 
 public class WCTest {
 
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+    @Test
+    public void testWordCountBaseCase() {
+        WC testFile = new WC("/Users/kaitrinahigh/Dev/CR-MesoLabs-Collections-EncapsulativeCharacters/src/main/resources/someTextFile.txt");
+        String actual = testFile.toString();
+        String expected = "you = 3\n" +
+                "what = 2\n" +
+                "a = 1\n" +
+                "are = 1\n" +
+                "beginner = 1\n" +
+                "can = 1\n" +
+                "do = 1\n" +
+                "everything = 1\n" +
+                "expert = 1\n" +
+                "for = 1\n" +
+                "have = 1\n" +
+                "in = 1\n" +
+                "not = 1\n" +
+                "once = 1\n" +
+                "perfection = 1\n" +
+                "progress = 1\n" +
+                "start = 1\n" +
+                "strive = 1\n" +
+                "the = 1\n" +
+                "use = 1\n" +
+                "was = 1\n" +
+                "where = 1\n";
+        Assert.assertEquals(expected, actual);
+    }
+}
+