We recently connected with Amber Hawthorne-Spratlen and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Amber thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s kick things off with a hypothetical question – if it were up to you, what would you change about the school or education system to better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career?

Contrary to popular belief people come in all different forms with all different challenges. We live in a world today where truly one size does not fit all as if it ever fit all. We go wrong when we want to relegate or specify how or what a person should be and what the path to success looks like. There is no one particular person that can walk that path thus achieving that goal. This notion that people who don’t look or perform like the “norm”are not as good as or cannot achieve is simply a waste of time? It is an act of futility to invest any time in such thoughts and my books prove just that. It is my sincere goal to inspire that someone who might not otherwise be inspired by mainstream media and to make them feel that there is no difference and perhaps they’re thinking and what they’ve been exposed to.
Hence, the name Exceptional Courage!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Amber Hawthorne-Spratlen. I have more than 23 years experience teaching children with special needs.
I have learned the value of cultivating relationships and I am surely a person that believes without you there is no me.
I am a woman who came from an educational background, as my mother was also an educator. How I got to where I am now was through keen observation and trial in error. There have been times when I’ve been in the trenches with several families and children in school districts who know what is it is to be cast aside & not have much expected of them.

Exceptional Courage is a culmination of
several beliefs as well as experiences highlighting children from different walks of life. You often hear that you can do or be whatever you want to be….
I believe this & I want this same conviction for reader’s that have my books.
Exceptional Courage is simply not the title of my series, it’s truly what’s needed to thrive!

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

One particular thing that drives me from my past, I would have to say have been the mistakes that I have made whether small or large. I’ve always thought to myself how much more successful people could be, if knowledge was more readily available especially about the small things.
I have an undying willingness to get things right and in this notion, I know that I cannot be alone so it is with that…….
That I try to dispense information to any and everyone listening and subsequently that happens to be children.
With mines like sponges children often don’t do what you say do,they do what you do so it is important to me that I lead by example.
Because these examples will go forward and serve as mirrors in the not so far away future.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The sense of accomplishment! Taking nothing and creating something or taking ideas & bringing them to life.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.amberhawthornespratlen.com