Stefania Shaffer

I left behind a successful career in corporate America to follow my heart into Education. I went on to earn my Teaching Credential from San Francisco State University and am now currently teaching English Language Arts to seventh-graders. One day in class, entrenched in the midst of teaching standards, trying to ignite passion from twelve-year olds to embrace a love of learning, a challenge at best, a letter was delivered to my room, written by a former student now in her sophomore year of high school. On this especially bad day at work, her note became something more than a heartfelt thank you from a former student to her teacher; it became a reminder to me that leaving corporate America was never a bad decision. The student’s sincerity inspired me to think about the teachers who made an impact in my own life. They might be equally surprised to know that what students learn in the classroom very often has nothing to do with our lesson plans. This is how the story of Heroes Don’t Always Wear Capes was born. The obstacles that every student faces are spooled together creating our protagonist Vandra, the underdog we root for because there is a little bit of Vandra in all of us. The note card? Framed in rosewood and on the wall behind my teacher’s desk so I can smile through any other bad days.

San Francisco, CA