The Gazette

Issue date: 5/6/09 Section: News

I will be series

Willa Robinson

Willa Robinson is the author of a new series of children's books titled the I Will Be series, which inspires children to dream of their future careers with hope and optimism. The Kansas City, Kan. native says she was inspired to write the series after coming up with an idea to help the Los Angeles Police Department build respect and trust in the eyes of the city's youth.

"Originally I wanted the first book to be "I Will Be a Police Officer When I Grow Up," but because my publishing company, Knowledge Power Communications, was not non-profit I wasn't able to work with them," Robinson said.

When she was unable to use a police officer as the subject of her first book in the series, Robinson was inspired by her best friend, retired middle-school teacher and Langston alumna Evelyn Tunley, and the idea for "I Will Be a Teacher When I Grow Up" was born.

This was not the only inspiration Robinson drew from personal life experiences. On January 26, 2005, she was on a Metrolink commuter train that crashed, killing 11 people and injuring herself and nearly 200 others. According to Robinson, she was never the same after that day, and in the wake of all that was lost in the tragedy, one shining ray of hope emerged.

"Just before the crash, I was writing in my journal and the last sentence that I wrote was 'Today is the first day of the rest of my life. I will now do what God has purposed me to do.' My journal was on the floor of the train covered with blood," Robinson said. "My bags were stacked up like someone had placed them there and the only thing out of place was my planner. My journal was opened to the page where I was writing those words."

Robinson said after recovering from her injuries, she got to work on her dream of writing books.

"I Will Be A Teacher When I Grow Up" is an empowerment book geared toward children ages 4-8, but appropriate for children of all ages and ethnicities, Robinson says.

"The teachers are illustrated as cartoon-like funny characters and they share their successes and challenges to help children to believe in themselves," Robinson said. "I believe when children are able to identify with professionals that look like themselves and possibly come from similar backgrounds, it will help them to make better choices for their future."

Robinson says future books in the series will shed light on lucrative professions that children may not know about when dreaming of their future careers, such as a lawyer, doctor, or nurse.

When asked what advice she would give to young people who want to become writers, Robinson said, "Find your passion. Give yourself permission to write about your passion and do not give up!"

For more information on Willa Robinson or the I Will Be series please visit www.knowledgepowerinc.com. You can also purchase "I Will Be A Teacher When I Grow Up" at www.amazon.com.

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