The author, Susan Fay Ryan, is the mother of five children. As an undergraduate student, she attended Boston College and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts...view moreThe author, Susan Fay Ryan, is the mother of five children. As an undergraduate student, she attended Boston College and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts. Holding four advanced degrees, she earned a Doctorate in Education from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Fluent in Spanish, she studied the language in Florida, Guatemala, Mexico and Spain. She taught English/Language Arts in Florida for 36 years, spending 33 of them in public schools. While in that position, she earned National Board Certification.view less