Senior Publishes Children’s Book About Inclusion
Kevin Valido, a Belen Jesuit senior published a children’s book about inclusion. The book tells the story of two children, Jack and George, who attend a camp with students who have disabilities and learn that, although they have differences, they also share many similarities. The book is called, ‘Know Me For My Ability Not My Disability” and includes beautiful illustrations that help captivate the reader and tell the story.
Kevin has volunteered at Shake-A-Leg in Miami since the summer of 2017, logging over 500 hours of service to date. His dedication to the charity led to a passion to teach others the importance of inclusiveness. “I’ve been volunteering as a mentor at Shake-A-Leg because I love their goal of being inclusive,” said Valido. “They aim to welcome all people no matter where you come from or what you’ve gone through.”
Shake-A-Leg is a non-profit working with children & adults with physical, developmental and economic challenges in a marine environment, utilizing Biscayne Bay to teach environmental lessons, therapeutic sailing, swimming & kayaking.
“During my time there, I learned the value of inclusion and I saw how beautiful it is to see it in action, but then I realized that it wasn’t like that in the ‘real’ world,” said Valido. “Society tends to push people with disabilities aside and use offensive words to describe them. It was then that I realized that I wanted to take the lessons and experiences I had at Shake-A-Leg and share them with the rest of the community.”
The concept of writing a book occurred early in his time volunteering at the organization. During that first summer, and through experiences and interactions with summer campers and teachers, he realized that if he could help shape the way young children think about people with disabilities then he could make a difference in the way they handle situations as they grow up.
“My faith played a huge role in my desire to do service in the community,” said Valido. “At Belen Jesuit, doing the Magis (to strive to do more in sharing the Gospel values, learning, and serving) is ingrained in us since our first day as students and as a current peer minister, I took those lessons to heart. I wanted to be committed to these kids (at Shake-A-Leg) who I built personal connections with and dedicate my time to them.”
The process of writing the book took Kevin nearly a year (his junior year in high school). Throughout the process, he worked with Belen English teacher Anthony Alexander who helped guide him. Kevin also searched worldwide for an illustrator that could help bring to life the characters and a publisher that put it all together.
“As I read Kevin's book, I didn't know what to be more impressed with: his skill in writing a children's book, or his initiative in finding a publisher and carrying the project through to fulfillment,” said Alexander. “It was a great pleasure to read Kevin's book, just as it was a great pleasure to experience his intelligence, literary skills, and leadership abilities when he was my student.”
Kevin hopes to share the story with children by presenting to local elementary and middle school students in 2020. He also intends on taking part in book events and hopes to be invited to speak at book fairs. Ultimately, the goal is to share his experience and the story of his main characters, Jack and George with as many people as possible to hopefully begin planting the seed of change in the way those with disabilities are treated. His long term goals include becoming a medical doctor dedicated to serving those with disabilities and their families.
“When I learned that Kevin had published a book I was not one bit surprised,” said Patricia A. Bustamante, Assistant Principal for the Middle School. “He has always been a leader, ready to speak up and serve others. This book is a clear testament to that. I couldn’t be prouder of Kevin and am looking forward to his presentation to the middle school students this spring.”
As the story progresses, Jack and George get to see how their differences are not what defines them. Rather, they learn a valuable lesson. They realize that it's important to know each other's abilities and not focus on disabilities. Jack and George learn through their new friends that differences truly are what make each and every one of us beautifully unique.
The book is available for purchase on Amazon, Barnes & Noble e-Store, AuthorHouse (publisher) and on www.knowmyability.com.
BELEN JESUIT PREPARATORY SCHOOL
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: webmaster@belenjesuit.org
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: webmaster@belenjesuit.org
Belen Jesuit Preparatory School was founded in 1854 in Havana, Cuba by Queen Isabel II of Spain. The task of educating students was assigned to the priests and brothers of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), whose teaching tradition is synonymous with academic excellence and spiritual discipline. In 1961, the new political regime of Cuba confiscated the School property and expelled the Jesuit faculty. The School was re-established in Miami the same year, and over the next decade, continued to grow. Today, Belen Jesuit sits on a 30-acre site in western Dade County, only minutes away from downtown Miami.