New Dreams and Career Possibilities

Charli’s Pawsome Park follows a curious girl who meets a landscape architect and wonders if she could design her own dog park, so with the help of her friends, she does, but not without some challenges. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

I taught 2nd and 3rd Grade, and I well remember the perpetual question of “WHY do we need to learn this?” With this series, I’m showing kids the why behind STEM activities and education. I want them to see that STEM can be fun and practically applied. Hopefully, this will open their eyes to new dreams and career possibilities.

Is there anything about Charli that came from yourself or your life experiences?

Like Charli, I’ve always loved school and learning new things. But when I was a child, girls were not really encouraged to pursue STEM fields. I want to help change that narrative so that my own granddaughters and their peers know that they can choose any educational and career paths they desire.

What was one scene in the novel that you felt captured the morals and message you were trying to deliver to readers?

Chapter 3 shows Charli and Molly brainstorming ideas for the dorsal device. This scene introduces the themes that are more deeply explored in the rest of the book: leadership, teamwork, overcoming adversity, empathy, and female empowerment.

Can you tell us more about what’s in store for Charli and the direction of the next book?

Charli’s Dorsal Device: An Engineering Adventure is Book #3 in this series. In it, Charli owns her engineering company and designs a GPS tracking device for a dolphin.