Meet Our January Author of the Month: Teresa Oliver

Teresa Oliver was born in Gary, Indiana, but she considers herself to be an Atlanta native since she has lived in the city for over 30 years. As a young child, Teresa often expressed her creative side through singing and dancing. She was involved in several girl singing groups and was in chorus from second grade through her senior year in high school. Also as a young child, the author attended Marlene Rounds Dance School in inner-city Atlanta. She studied ballet, tap, jazz, and Afro-centric dance.
 

After high school, Teresa grew a stronger passion for education, psychology, and writing. Teresa spent one year as a teacher at a school for students who had unique learning profiles or who were formally labeled "learning disabled." Shortly after working there, she noticed that many, if not all, of the children, were not learning disabled. They simply had a unique way of viewing the world and learning. She knew then it was her job and duty to understand their minds. Teresa wanted to use the knowledge she gained in the Master's program and combine it with her creative writing skills to tell a story. She wanted students who were struggling, whether academically, physically, socially, or emotionally, to have someone they could relate to. Teresa believes, "As a society, we make big deals of individuals who are the 'best', and we have empathy for those disabilities that are easily seen. However, it is the invisible “disabilities” that are swept under the rug and overlooked."