Meghan Shanley is a singer, songwriter, speaker, and now published children's author. In 2001 she won the title of Miss Virginia. Her platform during that year focused on building self esteem in youth. It is a topic that has stayed close to her heart through the years. Every human being deals with struggles of self-confidence, peer pressure, and finding our place in life at some point in our journey. Meghan’s recently released book titled VINCENT PLAYS HIS PART , tackles those issues in a fun and non-threatening way. Vincent is a violin who lives in the orchestra but is having a bit of a tough time. He constantly compares himself to the other instruments and wishes he was more like them, but as he has conversations with each of these friends, he finds out that they too have their own challenges. By the end of the book Vincent has discovered that he is different for a reason and takes pride in the part he has to play in the bigger picture. This book encourages children to appreciate that they are unique for a reason, they have a part to play in life. And those who are different from them have their own parts to play! It is also a valuable lesson on not assuming things about people based on what you see. It is a children’s book, but let’s be honest, adults need to hear this message too in today's world of non-stop comparison. She hopes this book will help children see that it's ok to be different. There is a reason we all have different gifts and talents. Let's learn to embrace them, and help others find their talents along the way! Meghan is available for author visits through schools and community organizations, or as a keynote speaker for your event. She is also a double whammy in that she can bring a musical performance to your event as well.