Joe Mendoza was born on a Ranch in Northern Mexico named, San Jose de Medina. He immigrated to Mercedes, Texas at the age of five after his mother’s untimely death. He now resides in Pharr Texas.
Before becoming an educator, he proudly served seven years in the United States Navy as an aviation mechanic. After his honorable discharge from the Navy, he went to work at Homage Studios and Wildstorm Productions where he worked as a comic book Editor and performed various other comic book production services. He continued to go to school to become a school counselor where he provided 14 years of counseling services to the San Diego School District and with the Romoland School District. It was at Romoland School District where he decided to go back to school for a Masters degree in Educational Leadership to become an administrator and served as assistant principal at the Middle School and Elementary levels. While serving as an educator, he often heard many students saying that they wish there were more books that they could relate to and enjoy. This motivated him to act on his dream of becoming an author and writing books that could speak to the student’s lives. His ultimate hope is that his books make a positive impact and that they serve as a guide and tool with any life challenges. |
Omar Reza was born in 1981 in Whittier, CA, but has resided in Moreno Valley, CA. for most of his life.
Growing up he was exposed to various types of music on a daily basis and he eventually joined the school band in fifth grade. He played the trumpet all through high school and a few years in to college where he eventually chose to pursue a Psychology degree. He then enrolled in grad school at Azusa Pacific University where he graduated with a Masters of Education in school counseling. Although he did not go in to the field right after graduation, he soon got an offer he couldn’t refuse to become a school counselor at two middle schools in Watsonville, CA. After only a year in Watsonville, he was offered a position as a school counselor for an elementary and middle school in Menifee, CA. Shortly thereafter, he was given the great honor of becoming the intervention counselore at Parkway Heights MS in South San Francisco, CA. Since then he has gone on to create a non-profit organization (Guidance 4U), with the co-author of this book Joe Mendoza, for counseling services in the schools. Along with this non-profit, Omar and Joe have written several youth empowerment books that were specifically written for children to educate and help them through difficult times in their lives while addressing many school issues. |