On Friday, March 6, author Shannon McKenna Schmidt visited Ellenville Junior/Senior High School for a presentation and Q&A session. Schmidt shares a special connection with our school as the sister of Assistant Principal Meredith Smith!
Schmidt is the author of several books, including The First Lady of World War II: Eleanor Roosevelt's Daring Journey to the Front Lines and Back and You Can't Catch Us: Lady Bird Johnson's Trailblazing 1964 Campaign Train and the Women Who Rode with Her. As it turns out, Ellenville has a historical connection to both of these remarkable First Ladies. Highlighting those ties, Librarian Lynne Golliher created a display highlighting Eleanor Roosevelt's commencement address to Ellenville's Class of 1957 as well as Lady Bird Johnson's attendance at the 1966 groundbreaking of Ellenville Regional Hospital.
Schmidt shared her journey from English major to publishing professional to world-traveling freelance writer and author, describing how her love of travel and writing connect all of her books. She spoke passionately about the women at the heart of her most recent work, noting that she has "always been interested in stories about trailblazing women in history—women who didn't let barriers hold them back."
After her presentation, Schmidt opened the floor to student questions, which covered conducting historical research, how to find motivation, and the publishing process. A few lucky students even went home with signed copies of her books after correctly answering history trivia questions.
Ellenville thanks Ms. Schmidt for sharing her journey as a writer, as well as the empowering stories of two extraordinary women!