Author and educational consultant Dr. Mary Manz Simon ’69 joins Redbird Buzz to share her unique path as a kindergarten teacher to a children’s author and educational consultant for companies like Crayola, DreamWorks, Sony, and more. She was inducted into the College of Education Hall of Fame in 2021 and is a recipient of the Alumni Association’s E. Burton Mercier Alumni Service Award.

Simon shares what is truly important when it comes to passion, shaping the lives of children as educators, and how learning each day ourselves makes us better people. She also briefly explains her friendship with beloved television star Mr. Fred Rogers.

Redbird Buzz is available on SpotifyApple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsAmazon MusicStitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Transcripts of each episode are available online at Alumni.IllinoisState.edu/Podcast.