All of my favorite childhood memories involve books. I took frequent visits to the children’s library. I purchased books during every fair at school. There were funny stories and laughter around the dinner table. To this day, whenever my family gathers, we share stories about our ancestors, history, and family, stories that have been passed from generation to generation. Through my writing, these stories can live on forever. I pull from all of the stories that I have heard and try to piece together a story that will resonate in a meaningful way for other families. 

I want readers to remember that they have a story worth telling. I hope that ZORA, THE STORY KEEPER inspires a desire to explore the themes of family, love, loss, and legacy. My mom conducts ancestral research to collect family stories to pass on to her relatives. Because of her work, I now have a family book outlining our ancestry. I understand the power of knowing who I am, whose I am, and where I come from. I hope that reading this story sparks a similar journey of self-discovery and appreciation for family. 

Writing has been a passion of mine for over two decades, particularly crafting stories for children and teens that amplify Black voices and experiences. Some of my notable works include Zora, The Storykeeper (Wilkins, E. 2023), If You Traveled on The Underground Railroad (Wilkins, E. 2022), and Claudette Colvin Refuses to Move: Courageous Kid of the Civil Rights Movement (Wilkins, E. 2020), among others. My love for storytelling was nurtured from a young age, as my parents instilled in me the importance of representation in literature. Throughout my childhood, stories were my constant companions. From weekly trips to the children's library with my family to the chaotic joy of book fairs at school, I found solace and inspiration in the pages of books. Yet, as much as I cherished these tales, I couldn't shake the feeling of being unseen in the stories I read. Characters who looked like me and reflected my experiences were few and far between back then. It was this realization that sparked a fire within me—a determination to fill the void I felt in children's literature. Encouraged also with a writing challenge from my parents, I began crafting my own stories at an early age, outlining tales of adventure on an old computer my dad brought home from work. These early adventures into storytelling set the stage for a lifelong passion for writing.

I learned early about the Importance of having access to stories that accurately honor and reflect our experience. This belief has guided my career, from my days as an education reporter to my current roles as a professor and writing coach. Through my work, I aim to create spaces where diverse voices are celebrated and honored. As I navigated through school and college, my love for storytelling only grew stronger. During my undergraduate years at Purdue University, I worked as an editor for the Purdue Exponent, interviewing students and faculty about events around campus and mentoring student writers. After graduation, I continued this work and served as an education reporter for a daily newspaper, delving into the world of schools and classrooms, and honing my skills as a writer. It was at this point in my career that my passions aligned. In grad school, I began to write creatively and research the use of children's literature in classrooms. Armed with this new knowledge, I embarked on a career that would allow me to combine my love for writing with my passion for education.

• University of Illinois at Chicago - Ph.D. in Literacy, Language, and Culture 

• Indiana U Purdue U at Indianapolis - MS in Elementary Education 

• The New School - MFA in Creative Writing for children

• Purdue University - BA in Communications-Journalism 

• Things I love: 

  • Playing tennis

  • Traveling

  • Hosting parties/reunions

  • Places I’ve lived: IN, IL, NYC, MI

  • Writing, reading, music, 

  • Healthy living/Working out

  • Lake life

  • Playing music with my family. I play flute and piccolo

  • Sports I’ve played: gymnastics, swimming, track & field, volleyball, tennis

• Who’s Who In America

• International Library of Poetry Editor’s Choice Award       

• Mathical Book Honor for DK Life Stories Katherine Johnson

• Hearst Distinguished Journalism Award                        

• Distinguished Faculty Teaching Award        

• Purdue Black Caucus Academic Achievement Award         

• Nettie Hubbard Leadership Award

• University Scholars Award & Writing Scholarship              

• Data-Driven Collaborative Environment Award m description

Other books: 

1. Zora, The Storykeeper (Kokila, Penguin Random House 2023)

2. If You Traveled on The Underground Railroad (Scholastic, 2022)

3. Claudette Colvin Refuses to Move: Courageous Kid of the Civil Rights Movement (Capstone Press, 2020)

4. Trailblazers: Beyoncé: Queen of the Spotlight (Random House, 2020)

5. Malcolm X: Get to Know the Civil Rights Activist (Capstone Press, 2020)

6. Out of Bounds (US Dream Academy, 2014)

7. Sellout (Scholastic, 2010)

8. DK Life Stories: Katherine Johnson (Penguin, 2019)

9. Perron Family Haunting: The Ghost Story That Inspired Horror Movies (Capstone Press, 2019)

Dear future self,

You will have many voices offering you advice throughout your life journey. Some will be useful. Some will just be noise. You will learn to distinguish between the two. The following can serve as a guide to success and self-discovery. “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you,” Mother Maya Angelou will add so many more words of encouragement, too. Continue to read her words. She will steer you in the write direction. Be yourself every step of the way. Your journey is a colorful one. Enjoy every single moment. If you do, you’ll have a beautiful story to tell. 

Here are a few pieces of advice that will help guide your way: 

• Focus on you. Don’t worry about what anyone else’s journey looks like. Don’t envy others. They are running their own race, and you won’t see their struggles. You aren’t responsible for anyone else’s path. Keep your eyes focused on your own. The only person you have to compete with in this life is you.

• Avoid what doesn’t help you grow. You’ll be tempted to over-extend yourself. Be helpful, but learn to receive help as well. Once you learn that your efforts are not being reciprocated, fall back a bit. You can’t pour from an empty cup.

• Say yes to new opportunities. Follow your dreams. If you want to go, go! Even when you are scared and uncertain, go. Say yes to everything that excites you and allows you to grow. Traveling is the best education you will get in this life, go. Lifelong Learning is the goal.

• Learn to say no. Decide what you’re going to do, and not do, and stick to that. Say no unapologetically to everything that disturbs your growth and your peace. Protect your peace at all costs. It is also ok to change your mind, whenever you need to.

• When there isn’t room for you at the table, create your own space. Not everyone will want you around. Not everyone will not want you to succeed. There will be some who will attempt to make your journey more difficult. Lean in anyway and keep going. Your journey has been prayed for, paid for, and you will win.

• Trust your gut. Do what you love, not what is easy. You will figure it out along the way. When others doubt you or you doubt yourself, stick up for yourself, and lean in to what you believe is right. Lean all the way in.

• Surround yourself with the relationships that feed your soul. Move away from the ones that don’t. Forgive yourself and don’t apologize for the decisions you make. Everyone will not agree with your choices. Proceed anyway. You are making the right choice for you, and that is what matters most. 

• Respect yourself. and respect those who show respect to you. Listen to those you respect. Listen to those who you don’t respect. And then make up your own mind.

• Your voice has value, but be slow to speak and quick to listen. Learn to read the room. You learn more this way. That being said, your voice has value. Use it.

• This too shall pass. When life gets tough and you feel overwhelmed, don’t just complain. Change your attitude, refocus, and make a new plan.

• You teach people how to treat you! This is your responsibility. 

With eternal love and gratitude,