Natalie's Everyday Heroes: MSOE senior publishes children's book inspired by personal experience

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Sierra Andrews is graduating from the Milwaukee School of Engineering next month with a degree in computer science.

That's a big accomplishment, but she also found the time to publish her first children's book this past week. It draws on her personal experience, as well.

"I thought this was going to be so easy. It's linear algebra," Andrews said, working on one of her final assignments at MSOE.

The last weeks leading up to graduation are busy. Andrews, a senior, is counting down.

"I graduate May 17 at 10 a.m.," she said, very specifically.

She's got finals to finish. And her senior design project with Rosie the supercomputer.

"It's a lot of fun to use," she said.

But even with all of that on her plate, she found the time to publish her first children's book.

"It's called, 'Not Everyone Walks the Stage,'" she said.

The story follows kindergartener Sophia, who takes her teacher's words quite literally.

"Miss Brown says there may be some students who do not get to walk across the stage at graduation," Andrews read from her book.

It's not until the end that you find out Sophia's concern comes from the fact that she's in a wheelchair and can't walk the stage.

"I was in a car accident my senior year in high school," Andrews said, drawing on her own personal experience.

"It severed the spinal cord at the T12 level," she said of her injury.

"Not Everyone Walks the Stage" started as an idea the summer before her junior year.

"To see the physical copy of something that took two years to make is just, it's so cool. And I'm very excited," she said proudly.

Nick Seidler is coordinator of special events at MSOE and came to her with the idea.

"It's a book about communication, right," he said. "And together, she and I concepted it and at that point, Sierra actually wrote the book herself, which is actually very cool."

Andrews also worked for Seidler as senior commencement assistant.

"She has actually helped at least 2,000 cross the stage themselves," he said.

So, when Andrews crosses the stage herself, she knows she's learned a lot and is also helping others learn about people with disabilities.

"It's important for children, specifically, to learn this sort of thing. To understand from an early age that people are different and that's ok," she said.

"To see somebody go from being a student to being an educator themselves is an amazing journey," Seidler said.

Andrews hopes to get a job in data science and eventually do research on nerve pain and spinal cord injuries.

Nick Seidler has his own publishing company, too. So, he is a co-author. MSOE grad Alisa Tverdokhleb did the illustrations.

You can order the book here.

If you'd like to nominate an Everyday Hero, send Natalie a message at [email protected].