T. A. "Terry" McMullin, author of Gathering Courage knows as well as anyone that hard times are a part of the journey of life. During Terry's journey, she was an orphan, an adopted child, alnd then made a foster child by her parents. Terry learned how to turn rejection into success as she struggled with a reading disability. In her book, Gathering Courage, Terry tells how she turned her struggles with
 dyslexia into strengths as she taught herself how to read and study while working her way through college. Walking the stage to receive a diploma at Texas A&M University was not only a dream but also a reality. Terry's life transformed from a broken-hearted child who could barely make out words in elementary school to a distinguished teacher who encourages young people to work hard and achieve their greatest aspirations. At crucial points in Terry's life, she found people who cared and understood, who became her encouragers. The encouragement from others made Terry's life better so she vowed to be a champion for others who needed help. Terry wrote the story of her life to encourage each of us to live a life of compassion and purpose. The compassion shown to her as a lonely, broken hearted, child changed her life and gave her a purpose to make a difference as an adult. Terry has earned two degrees from Texas A&M University and has served as a 4-H Leader and FFA Advisor. Her professional career involves teaching agriculture, science, developing material for science and science fairs, working with students in an alternative school setting, teaching students with visual impairments, and mentoring students with dyslexia. Today, Terry lives on a small ranch in Texas, a forever home, with her horses, donkeys, and rescued Border Collie dogs. The writing of Gathering Courage was a three-year project of reminiscing from the heart and hurts of the past for the sole purpose of encouraging others. Encouragement puts love in the heart and direction in the dream. Encouragement and kindness does make a difference, encouragement made a difference in Terry's life. What started as a thought then words on a napkin set the dream in motion to form sentences on paper. The dream grew and the formation of a book developed into a purpose, a mission - "To Make Life Better." In 2015, Gathering Courage became a first place award-winning book in the North American Book Award and T.A. McMullin became an award winning author.