By Kate Wallace
SCTCC graduate Ashley LaRue knows where home is, and she wanted to make sure her kids did, too. So she wrote a children’s book, which was published this past January.
“Home is Love is about a young child who comes from a family where her parents are no longer together, and she asks her mama about where her home is. Her mom explains in detail with different scenarios involving love, memories, or ideas that will help the little girl understand what makes up her home. The main point is that wherever her daughter feels love, and wherever her heart is, with her mom, dad, her siblings, etc., is where her home is. Love is what matters, and home is where the heart is.” - description from Fox Pointe Publishing
Ashley graduated from the CACE program (currently Education), and she’s not shy to show her appreciation for all that SCTCC, the program, and the instructors mean to her.
“SCTCC…and the exceptional teachers taught us all how to reach for our dreams, but that you needed to put in hard work to get to them,” she said. “They also helped us to be proactive in other aspects of our lives when it came to working and also getting an education by placing both as high priorities and how to succeed with both.”
Instructor Connie Logeman was also a huge influence for Ashley. The interpersonal approach that she takes with her students was one of the reasons Ashley notes Connie as one of her favorite instructors.
“She always made sure to show compassion, patience, understanding, and grace with each student she interacted with, and I admired her intelligence, creativity, and beautiful, loving heart that she shared everyone around her.”
Ashley counts SCTCC as one of the most helpful places to have received an education from, and she’s happy that she was able to grow as an individual and better herself while she was a student.
“We are thrilled for Ashley. Becoming a published author has been a lifelong dream of hers and it's so exciting to see her achieve that dream. We sensed her passion, energy and positivity when she was in our program and we couldn't be prouder!” said instructor Connie Logeman.
Writing Home is Love was the culmination of Ashley’s dream to be an author, and with SCTCC’s help, she got there. You can tell how much Ashley is devoted to making sure children know that love is what matters most—from her book as well as her appreciation for the relationships she has with others.
As for what’s next, Ashley is ready for what life has for her: “I plan to fully live and love life with my amazing children and brilliant husband, and wherever that leads me, I am excited for the adventure that we will be on together!”
You can learn more about Home is Love at Fox Pointe Publishing’s website. The book is available in hardcover, paperback, and Kindle.