Title: Author
Company: Self-Employed
Location: Mount Sinai, NY United States

After spending more than 40 years as a teacher for the Mount Sinai School District, Renee Petrola has decided to shift her focus to writing. While she was still teaching, she taught classes in writing and literature, so settling on a career as an author after her retirement was the perfect fit. She received her Master’s degree in liberal studies from Stony Brook University, and actually completed 100 credits past what is required to receive a Master’s degree.

Ms. Petrola names her greatest achievement to be the legacy she has left with her students. She was also recognized for her participation in the Walt Whitman Poetry Contest, where her students also placed first two years in a row in the anthology category. She also accompanied her principal to Washington, D.C. to receive a Blue Ribbon Award, which is given to schools cited for exemplary high performance by the U.S. Department of Education. Throughout her career, she was recognized as an Exemplary Educator and Who’s Who Among Teachers.

Ms. Petrola attributes her success to her passion, listening and observational skills. Her love for her profession, even during the most difficult times, is what separated her from others in her field. She was inspired to follow this career path by her mother, who was also an elementary school teacher.

Turning to her career as an author, Ms. Petrola self-published her first book, “Woman on the Edge of Time.” Her second and third books, “Primitive Dancer” and “The Healing Tree
were published by Book Stand Publishing. Her books are available at Barnes and Noble and on Amazon.com. Looking to the future, she plans to continue writing and publishing more books.

Contact Renee Danette Petrola