Bestselling author visits McHenry High School for Writers Week

Bestselling author and DePaul University professor Erika L. Sánchez told McHenry High School students to tune out the doubts – and doubters – when pursuing their passions.

Sánchez, who wrote the bestselling “I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter,” brought a message of resilience and resolve during an all-day visit Feb. 7 as part of the school’s annual Writers Week celebration, according to a news release.

The daughter of Mexican immigrants who said she struggled with becoming her true self, Sánchez told students that it took her a while to learn that going along with everyone else isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, according to the release.

Sánchez said her books and stories are typically a combination of her own experiences mixed in with a little imagination. As an author, she said, she tries to write stories that would have helped her when she was younger.

Sánchez told students that it has been an exciting experience to see her bestselling book adapted into a play and movie. She said she expects the movie to be released in a few years.

The visit was part of a weeklong Writers Week that also included Celebration of Words performances, a poetry slam for sophomores, singer-songwriter performances and interactive activities for all students.