Author Bio
I grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana with my parents and two older brothers. I am a Southern University A&M College graduate with a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Management. My nieces, nephews and godson Caleb are her inspiration for the children’s’ series. Growing up, I was exposed to other races and ethnicities in school, but I later learned that this was not the case for everyone. I was introduced to different activities such as art, gymnastics, roller and ice-skating, and swimming regularly. My goal is to expose students to the differences and likenesses of others at an early age, and reading provides children exposure and teachable moments.
Culture Kids Inspiration
I chose the teacher, Mr. Tommie Gipson, as the teacher for the Culture Kids series as he is a friend with over 25 years of teaching experience, who has made an extremely positive impact in his students’ lives. After previously visiting his classroom on multiple occasions, I decided years ago that he would be the teacher in this series, as the multicultural and expression through presentations and plays aspect fit, as well as the dedication and experience. His students go on to excel in school, as well as other aspects of life. I was amazed of the amount of students who keep in contact with him even now, as they are now adults.
There has always been a need for a series of children’s books that focus on multiculturalism, so I decided to develop one. First, my goal is too explain a large number of common nationalities in America. Then I go into details of similarities and differences among the children. There is no way I could possibly name every ethnicity that exists, but I made a plan to touch on the majority. The environment you are around affects your knowledge of others. Since many students won’t be exposed to this environment, I feel that this series will bring it to their homes. I’ve always known I wanted to work with children and implement programs for them.
Another one of my main inspirations is a particular elementary school in Baton Rouge. An employee told me there were over 30 languages spoken there. The school is located next to Louisiana State University. Many of these professors send their young children to that elementary school. In the beginning, many of the students don’t speak English at all, but they learn it by the end of the school year.