I’m Alyssa—a licensed educator, academic tutor, and children’s literature author who believes that stories and learning share the same magic: they help kids grow with confidence, curiosity, and courage.

My teaching journey began in 2016, tutoring students with Down Syndrome, and soon after, I directed a summer camp for children with disabilities and chronic illnesses. Those early experiences taught me how powerful it is when students feel understood, supported, and celebrated. Since then, I’ve earned dual degrees in Cross-Categorical Special Education and Elementary Education from Carthage College, WI, and spent six years teaching as both a learning specialist and a 5th-grade classroom teacher. In every role, I help students strengthen foundational skills, develop executive functioning strategies, and build academic confidence that lasts.

My author journey grows right alongside my teaching. The same things I love most in the classroom—curiosity, imagination, emotional growth, and connection—show up in my writing too. I write picture books that support emotional regulation, sensory needs, resilience, and empathy, and I create middle-grade stories filled with adventure, heart, and wonder.

Outside both the classroom and the writing desk, I’m an adventurer at heart—backpacking in Alaska, canoeing through Canada, and exploring wild places that continually inspire new worlds, characters, and story ideas.

Teaching shapes my writing. Writing enriches my teaching. And at the center of both is my passion for helping kids feel seen, capable, and excited about learning—whether through a math lesson, a read-aloud, or a story that sparks their imagination.