Vanessa was born in bustling East New York (Brooklyn), New York. For a few early years she doted on her mother's every move until she passed away when Vanessa was five years old. Having begun school without the confidence instilled by a mother’s comforting words, she found herself in the slow reader section of her third grade class. Then this happened…
Vanessa spelled “advantageous.” This moved her from the slow to the advanced section of the classroom. The teacher sent Vanessa home with a note to her father. That was nice. But what she says she remembers most about that day is falling in love with words. They made her believe she could do whatever she put her mind to no matter what.
That pivotal day rooted the educational courage and confidence Vanessa needed, as a motherless girl, to pursue her education and dreams. She worked as a CPA in the country’s largest corporations successfully leading multi-million dollar financial projects. Vanessa has served on corporate executive boards, won multiple leadership awards, traveled internationally to train staff, founded several companies, and authored many articles and books.
Literacy
Vanessa says raising two daughters has been her life's greatest privilege and joy. It's her family and that third grade day that fuels her passion to help others, especially children, read and believe in what's possible for their lives. This, is why Vanessa says she writes.
Reading Makes a World of Difference
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Children who read imagine, dream, have hope, and plan for a bright future.
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A child who reads well has the basis for analytical thinking and communication.
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A child who cannot read may feel like an outsider, and that they do not belong.