My First Author Visit

Date: February 27, 2013
School: Benbrook Elementary in Houston, TX

 

 

There are many words that can describe experiencing my first author visit, but the one word that comes to mind is...REWARDING!  Knowing that all my hard work from writing my children's book, to finding an illustrator who got my vision, to creating my own publishing company and lastly, seeing the final product presented to your targeted audience is exhilarating.  Seeing all the smiling faces of the kids and their excitement during the presentation is very inspiring. What I enjoyed the most was after the presentation concluded, many of the kids came up to me, hugged me and told me that they loved the book. Even though the book is geared for girls, the boys were even telling me they loved the book.

I am a firm believer in that everything happens for a reason, with the divine intervention of God of course! Today, that was reaffirmed by my first author visit. For the first time in my life, I feel like this is the career I was meant to have. Although I've enjoyed my past job experiences, nothing can compare to what I felt today. Some of the puzzle pieces of my life are beginning to fit into place.

Puzzle Piece #1 – In 2003, I wrote a short essay titled, "Sharon - Future Psychologist," for a scholarship. Interestingly enough, my short essay was published in; get this...Authors of Tomorrow!

Puzzle Piece #2 –I had my daughter in 2005, then the next one and so on and so forth, all the way to number 4! I was meant to create strong and independent future leaders!

Puzzle Piece #3 – Upon completion of my Master’s degree (and a year’s worth of job searches), I landed a job as a Program Coordinator in the Education Office at NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC). My job consisted of recruiting minority high school and college students going into Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields for paid technical internships. I also had the opportunity to manage the Pre-Service Teacher Institute program, which allowed pre-service teachers throughout the nation an opportunity to come to JSC for a week long workshop, where they learned to incorporate NASA approved Math and Science curriculum into their future classrooms, along with the use of different technologies. I also had the pleasure of planning and supporting NASA’s presence at the Hispanic Engineering, Science and Technology Conference (HESTEC), down in Edinburg, TX, on the University of Texas – Pan American campus for two years in a row.

Puzzle Piece #4 – While working at NASA JSC, I also taught General Psychology, as an adjunct professor at San Jacinto College.

There are many more puzzle piece that fit into the larger picture, but at this time, these are the pieces that stand out the most. I believe each of these components is God’s way of saying, “Hey Sharon, you keep doing your thing, but I have a better plan in mind for you.” My short essay, in a way, foreshadowed what I would do in the future. At the time, it was a means to help pay for college but little did I realize that this publication would mean more to me in the future.

My job at JSC allowed me to connect with many of the women who will be showcased on this blog. I also connected with four cohorts of pre-service teachers, many of them now in their own classrooms. Possible author visits? Yes, I do believe so!

As an adjunct, I had to prepare my lecture materials, tests/assessments, grade assignments, report metrics and present lecture materials to the students. This allowed me to firm up my organization skills and perfect my public speaking skills, which is still a learning process. I believe this was a way for me to get over my stage fright and become comfortable speaking in front of crowds, both big and small.  Don’t get me wrong, I still get nervous at the beginning, but it's taking me less and less time to get comfortable and start being my true self.

It's all about bring it all back full circle and if all these are signs that I was meant to do what I did today, then I’m glad I’m on the path that was destined for me. I have always loved children, but knew I wasn’t cut out to be an elementary school teacher; therefore, being an author and visiting schools is the best of both worlds. I get to interact with the children in a fun and enjoyable environment, and best of all, I don’t have to test them over the material. Frankly, it’s a win-win situation for everyone. =)

My life's mantra comes from Mahatma Gandhi. "Be the change you wish to see in the world."

Sharon Griffin - Owner/Author

Hello and welcome to HerStory by GGPub (short for Griffin Girls Publishing)! I published my first children's book, titled When I Grow Up: A Little Girl's Big Boy Dreams, in June 2012. The book is a motivational push for little girls to pursue male dominated fields and to help little boys understand, at an early age, that boys and girls are equal and that girls can accomplish the same things as boys. Having four daughters of my own, I wanted to share my passion with each of you. This blog is dedicated to providing posts, in the form of interviews, from women sharing their educational, professional and a little bit of their personal backgrounds with each of you. Though the book is about male dominated fields, the blog will feature a wide variety of professions. I am hopeful this blog will be utilized as a reference for anyone considering a certain career path, seeing what options lie ahead for them. My goal with this blog is to provide anyone and everyone an outlet to reflect on career paths they necessarily might not have considered as a possibility or even an option.
 
 I decided the first interview would be about me so that you get to know me a little bit better. I hope you enjoy this blog, and I look forward to you continuing this journey with me.

1. Name - Sharon Griffin (That would be me!)

2. City and State - Houston, TX

3. What is your educational background? (Include colleges/universities and degrees attained)

I hold a Bachelors of Science in General Psychology (12/06) and a Master's of Arts in General Psychology Industrial/Organizational Psychology Specialization (12/08). Both degrees were earned from the University of Houston - Clear Lake.

4. What types of courses does your degree require? (If no degree, put "N/A" or list certificates)

A few of the courses I had to take consisted of statistics, leadership, training and development, how to administer assessments and analyze the data and some human resources related courses.

5. What were the most challenging classes you took and how did you overcome those challenges? (If no degree, put "N/A" or list certificate classes taken)

The hardest classes for me have always been the math classes; therefore, statistics was my kryptonite. I overcame those challenges by going to tutoring sessions, studying with friends and studying hard to understand the material.

6. Did you complete any internships/co-ops during school? If so, where did you intern or co-op? (If you didn’t complete any, put “NA”)

I completed two internships for my Master's degree. The first was with the Houston Comets as the Business Operations Intern, supporting the Business Operations manager in the day to day tasks of the team. Perks were that I got to attend the Comets games. The second internship was with MDA Federal, Inc., a NASA contractor. I worked as the Human Resources Intern, supporting the HR manager in conducting research on performance reviews and increasing salaries of the engineers to meet the average of what's being paid in the United States.

7. What company do you currently work for?

Griffin Girls Publishing

8. What is your job title?

Owner/operator/author

9. What are your day to day tasks?

Accounting, advertising, marketing, website maintenance, order fulfillment, social media site maintenance and scheduling events to promote and sell book to the general public.

10. Do you work independently or in a team environment? Which do you prefer?
I work independently. I currently prefer working independently because I starting this company and like to be aware and know everything that is going on.

11. What type of skill sets are needed for this job?

Organization, time management, people skills, database management, social media savvy, networking abilities and dedication. (If you don't have them, trust me, you will get them!)

12. Did you have a mentor? If so, what was the most important lesson he/she taught you?

Not a mentor per say, but I did have an individual in the Houston chapter of the Society of Children's Books Writers and Illustrators give me instructions on how to self publish and create my own publishing company. Everything else, I have been learning as I go and on my own.

13. What do you believe to be your greatest strength?

I believe my greatest strength is being flexible and rolling with the punches, so to speak. You have to be able to deal with anything that comes at you that you aren't prepared for and make it work in your favor.

14. What do you believe to be your greatest weakness?

I believe my greatest weakness is that I can't say no to people. I am a people pleaser and don't like to disappoint anyone. However, this has worked out in my favor because it has allowed me to hone in on my time management skills, figuring out what needs my time/attention and how much time to allot. Lastly, I work for myself and have no problem saying no to me!

15. What are some of your accomplishments? What accomplishment are you the most proud of?

These are a few of the awards I have received from my past positions:

Marshalls:

Employee of the Quarter - June 2001

Most Creative Game: Shrinkopoly - June 2003

 

NASA Johnson Space Center:

Group Achievement Award - September 2010

Superior Achievement Award - September 2010

SEA Grant Top Performer - August 2011

JSC Group Achievement Award - 2012

The accomplishment I am most proud of professionally is being published. The first was for a short essay I wrote for a scholarship, titled "Sharon - Future Psychologist," and second, my children's book, titled "When I Grow Up: A Little Girl's Big Boy Dreams."

 

16. What are your hobbies? What do you do for fun?

For fun, I like to hang out with my family and friends, read, cook, take pictures and plan/host events.

17. What did you want to be when you were a child?

When I was a child, I wanted to be an animal trainer for Sea World. I fell in love with orcas/killer whales from our yearly family trips to San Antonio's Sea World.

18. If you could switch professions with someone else for a day, what would it be and why?

I would like to switch with a Psychologist to see what it's like to help people with their problems. Sometimes, all you need is someone to talk to, who is unbiased and can see things from a neutral standpoint. Talking to someone with a fresh perspetive and someone who doesn't already have an opinion about you and your past can sometimes be better than just talking to a friend. Being physically healthy is important, but being mentally healthy is just as important, if not moreso.

19. What advice would you give someone wanting to go into your profession?

Owning your own business is hard and totally worth it. There's a learning curve, but if you get past the first year, it gets better and easier. You have to believe in yourself, your product and know that you can do it by yourself. You have to wear many hats and know when to switch those hats to accommodate the situation at hand. Organization is key, as well as knowing the trends at the time. As far as being an author, you need to decide if you want to go with a traditional publisher or self publish your work. I choose to self publish because I didn't want to wait around for someone to tell me that my book was good enough to publish, because I knew it was, and that was all that mattered. I also wanted creative control over what the illustrations portrayed because I was looking for something very specific. I believe I am one of the lucky ones. I got a great illustrator who worked with me until the illustrations were just what I wanted and needed for my book.