Sue Leamy Kies is a retired high school English teacher who lives in Platteville, Wisconsin with her husband, border collie mix, and backyard chickens. She enjoys time with family and friends, growing flowers and houseplants, kayaking and walking in nature, cooking and eating good food, listening to music and dancing, and reading and writing stories. Before teaching, Sue and her husband had five children and ran a dairy and hog farm. She returned to school and at the age of 36 graduated in 1991 as valedictorian from the University of Wisconsin Platteville. Her degree in English education and minor in journalism led her to 27 years in the classroom at her alma mater, Platteville High School. She earned her master’s degree in education in 2000 and began writing down teaching stories that make up her memoir called "My Homecoming Dance," her first full-length book. Over the years, Sue has published poetry, essays, movie reviews, and short stories in regional magazines and newspapers, including "Wisconsin Woman Magazine," "Julien’s Journal," "The Telegraph Herald," "The Wisconsin State Journal," "The Illinois English Bulletin," "The Voice of the River Valley," and "The Wisconsin Academy Review." Also, in 2021 CADA (Center for Applied Drama and Autism) chose her play "Back" about a disabled veteran to be performed for their One-Act Play Festival. Additionally, she has written two children’s books. The Platteville Library Foundation published "Saving Sadie" in recognition of the donors for the new library that opened in 2017. "Sassy’s Vacation" was published by the Platteville Community Arboretum in 2022 to promote literacy and nature education on the Rountree Branch Trail.We hope you enjoy My Homecoming Dance. Remember that public schools help to support kids by providing not only education, but meals, after-school programs, social workers, psychologists, etc. Society is best served when it supports and encourages public schools where no child is turned away and every child gets a chance to learn. It’s not always easy, but when parents, teachers and administrators work together, the universe is the limit. Please thank a teacher, donate time or money to a school, and support learning in any way you can. “Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.” —Malcolm Forbes Read more about this authorRead less about this author