Lauren Dungy is an early childhood educational specialist, best selling author, and frequently sought-after speaker. She is also a devoted wife and mother. A graduate of Duquesne University with a degree in elementary education, she taught school in her hometown of Sewickley, Penn., and volunteers as a reading specialist in the Title I schools in Tampa. The vice president of the Dungy Family Foundation, which is committed to strengthening families and helping individuals acquire the life skills needed for success, Lauren has a great passion and love for children. She works closely with several adoption agencies and women’s shelters in the Tampa area. She is heavily involved in her church. Lauren and her husband, Tony, have been married for 31 years. They are the parents of nine children.