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“The students were in disbelief that I had written and published my own book,” Allen said. "They were so excited and told me they couldn’t wait to read ‘Freckled Face Zina’ again during their reading time.”

“” follows a young girl as she learns to accept the freckles that dot her face. Allen wrote the book to encourage kids to be confident in themselves.

“I see a lot of teasing in the classroom. But I want kids to know it’s OK to be different. It’s OK to be something special and unique,” she said. “Zina realizes this thing she’s trying to get rid of, her freckles, actually makes her unique.”

Allen’s journey to published author began five years ago, when she wrote the first draft of “Freckled Face Zina” as part of a high school assignment. Three years later, Allen enrolled in a children’s literature course at UM-Dearborn. As assistant professor Danielle DeFauw led discussions, Allen’s mind wandered back to Zina.

That’s when she decided to plunge into the publishing world.

Allen searched the Internet for writing competitions and connected with Dog Ear Publishing. Two years of edits and illustrations later, she’s now ready to unveil the final product.

“I definitely learned patience through this process,” she said. “I learned to keep going until the book was exactly how I wanted it. I didn’t want to settle on something; I had to be confident in the book.”

One thing Allen wanted to see in her book? Diversity. She worked with Julie Taylor, associate professor of education, as part of a directed study. They talked about diversity and multiculturalism and the desire for kids to see someone like them when they open a book.

"Through her writing, Maria Allen engages young readers of diverse cultures. Her stories foster an appreciation of differences among children,” Taylor said. “Maria is at the start of a promising career as an author and educator. "

Following Sunday’s commencement, Allen will shift from author to marketer. Book tours, a website and mobile app, and a Zina sequel—all are on the agenda.

She also plans to get back in the classroom. As a third generation educator—her mother and grandmother were teachers—she hopes to inspire students to work toward their dreams.

“As educators, we never know what seeds we’re planting,” she said. “Now I can say to my students, ‘Don’t forget about your goals. You want to be a writer? An engineer? I published my book and you can achieve your goals too.’”