Melissa Monteith is an award-winning writer, seasoned educator, and proud owner of Word Beacon Creative Studio. With more than 20 years of experience in education and a lifelong passion for storytelling, Melissa brings both heart and humor to her work. Her writing has been featured in Chicken Soup for the Soul for Teachers, and she is an AWAI International Scriptwriting Award winner.

But Melissa’s greatest lessons have not come from classrooms or writing awards, they have come from raising her daughter with disabilities. Living life in the trenches of endless paperwork, waiting lists, and red tape, she has learned what it truly means to advocate, to fight, and to keep going when the system feels stacked against you. The exhaustion is real, the frustrations are constant, and the victories, no matter how small, are hard-won.

That raw, lived experience is the heartbeat of Bootcamp for the Brave. Melissa does not just write about transition; she has lived it. She knows what it feels like to sit across from professionals who do not have answers, to carry the weight of uncertainty about the future, and to wonder if you are doing enough. And yet, through it all, she has found strength in persistence, resilience, and humor.

Her guiding mantra, repeated throughout this book, is simple: “Boots on, chin up, forward is the only direction.” It is not just advice, it is survival.

Melissa holds a bachelor’s degree in communication arts from Warner University and a master’s in education from Antioch University, as well as certifications from The American Writers and  Art Institute. She lives in Massachusetts with her daughter and their spunky silver lab, who always manages to keep life interesting.

Through her work, Melissa aims to inspire, educate, and connect; helping parents know they are not alone and reminding them that even in the hardest seasons, there is always room for resilience and a little bit of humor.