School in the Ring By Julia Vetters

Image Description: In the foreground, a massive, muscular figure seen from the back wears a graduation gown and mortarboard, holding a book labeled “DIPLOMA.” They loom over a much smaller, scruffy student in the boxing ring.

Author Statement: “High school was a huge struggle for me.  There were times when I thought I wouldn’t be able to graduate because it was so overwhelming.  Every time I would go to school I felt panicked.  Thanks to the support of my wonderful teachers and advisors I was able to graduate.  They helped me set goals that I could achieve and pushed me to keep going.  They never made me feel bad about needing accommodations and helped me build the confidence I needed to start advocating for myself more”

About the Author

Image Description: A person with light skin, wavy blonde hair, and round glasses smiles and wears a patterned teal shirt and a gold ring necklace.