My name is Sarah Lucia Severino. I was born in Adelaide, South Australia, on 25 June 1994, making me twenty years old at the time of publishing my first children's picture book. I have a mother, father and two sisters. If they could describe me, I believe they'd say I'm an old soul. If I could describe myself in some way, it would be "down to earth." I am very family orientated and I appreciate all those who have guided me through my darkest days. Yes, I'm only twenty, but I've had some dark days. My darkest are the ones that have now made me the brightest. I, like most people, have experienced hardships. But I believe, you have to lose yourself first to truly find yourself. Everyone in life will go through hardships, and that is why whenever I meet someone for the first time, I am kind because I know that they have a story somewhere along the way, and everyone deserves to see a smile. I am still finding myself with the support of great family, friends, and others in my life. Life has taught me so many lessons, and the most important one to me is that life will throw some hard battles in your path, but life was given to those who were strong enough to live it, so whenever I am feeling like I am down to my rock bottom, I know then that there is nowhere to go but up. I want to be able to make others feel better at their worst, be one that people think of when they need a friend or support, and one that can shape the minds of young learners so that they want to be that kind of person too. That is why I am currently studying primary/middle teaching. The first book I've published reflects my values of empathy as it is a children's picture book with the theme of war. The story is written from a baby's perspective so younger students can easily relate and learn to become empathetic. This story is also suitable for older year levels as the themes are more complex. The book is a good resource for schools, especially coming closer to different days celebrated in memory of soldiers and their families involved in WWI and WWII, like ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day. This book can be used in an English unit and integrated with SOSE as the story uses written and visual text to convey messages. I hope to publish more books after my first one and continue trying to make an impact in people's lives.
