Nenagh launch of guidebook for teenage girls

Toomevara teacher Siobhán Hackett and co-author Mary Doherty recently launched their book 'Shine: A Girl’s Guide to Thriving (Not Just Surviving) in Real Life'.
Former Mountjoy Prison Governor John Lonergan officially launched the book at the Ursuline Secondary School in Thurles, where Siobhán and Mary work.
The co-authors will hold a Nenagh launch of their book at Steeples on O'Rahilly St this Saturday, September 5th, between 11am and 1pm.

Siobhán (née Ryan) of Toomevara is a graduate of Crawford College of Art in Cork with a Diploma in Educational Psychology. She has many years’ experience in dealing with teenagers and is passionately interested in the many ways that students learn, which can often prevent them enjoying the experience of school life if left unaddressed. Siobhán is the Learning Support Coordinator at the Ursuline Secondary School, teaching Learning Support, Resource and Art. She lives with her husband and two children.
Mary has been a class tutor for 15 years and has experienced many teenage issues first hand and gotten to know the girls on a very personal level. Mary is also a Transition Year co-ordinator and Learning Support teacher. She lives in Kilkenny with her husband and two children.
The co-authors said 'Shine' was written for, about and inspired by the many girls that they have taught over the years.
“We all know that the teenage years can be quite challenging as you embrace the adult world,” they write in their address to teenagers.
“Working with you every day, we see the difficult and confusing choices you face. In our book we offer positive tips and strategies on the most common teenage issues. We want it to give you hope and help you attain a strong sense of self so you can shine from the inside out.
“We have to remember that we are all unique, we are all different. Being different means not being afraid to challenge the norm. Being willing to take a chance. Making your own track, not just following the well trodden path. Charting your own course and destiny. Being the person that you were meant to be.
“It doesn’t matter who you are, where you've come from or what you've been through... You can make a difference in this world.
“Yes, there will be challenges to face and changes to make in your life but it is up to you how you accept them.
“Many people know Michael Jordan as the best basketball player of all time. Yet he reminds us: 'I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why, I succeed.'
“Success is built upon failure and mistakes. It is how we gain experience and how we learn and grow. And it is by learning and growing that we are eventually able to succeed. Mistakes are not a measure of your self-worth but an opportunity to start over. Stay true to your real self.
“Authenticity is key. Let the real you emerge.  It’s time to start believing in who you are and what you can be. You have the power to let your true self self.'