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Publishedon February 12th, 2015 | by Alex Conover
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Graduate student defies odds and authors
children’s book
Every graduate student needs perseverance to make it through their studies. Wendy Muhlhauser’s drive is fueled by more than 20
years of defying the odds.
In 1992, Muhlhauser was a pedestrian in New York City when she was hit by a car. The accident resulted in a Traumatic Brain
Injury (TBI), and Muhlhauser has endured four concussions since, which have resulted in seizures and other side effects.
Through careful recovery, after theaccident, Muhlhauser has served as a teacher and operated a business that helped implement
drama in classrooms to encourage mental and creative growth. After 18 years, Muhlhauser dissolved her business to focus on a

2. longtime goal: writing and publishing a children’s book. After researching various graduate programs, she found that she could
join thehighly customizable Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota Master of Arts in Human Development program and
complete her book as part of the coursework. It was a perfect fit.
As part of the human development program, Muhlhauser met with her adviser Lee Truer and mapped out an academic plan. It
was decided that the first part of her independent study would be creating and publishing thebook, and thesecond part would be
marketing and promotion.
Hours of work followed. Muhlhauser refined a story shehad written in 2011, drawing elements from her time in Tanzania during
a 2007 Edina Rotary Club trip that worked on a clean water project. She then enlisted a team of interns from local colleges and
high schools, finding young peopleskilled in illustrating, marketing, and social media.
“I was absolutely bowled over by the enormous amount of work that Wendy successfully completed for the start of her human
development degree,” Truer said. “What she researched and set into motion would be impressive for anyone, but even more so
when you add in how she juggled new employment, sending a child off to college, and being a person with a TBI. It was a very
ambitious academic contract.”
Kind words and support fromTruer and other Saint Mary’s faculty members helped Muhlhauser earn an Evert Scholarship along
with a sponsorship fromtheCheetah Endangered Fund, which helped with tuition. After an arduous process, Muhlhauser realized
her dream in October 2014 when her book Jelly Beans the Cheetah and Hope was published by Beaver Pond Press.
“Thecheetah, instead of self-absorbing, gives love out and serves with true confidence and boldness,” Muhlhauser said of the
aptly named Jelly Beans, who sports multicolored spots after a local villager jokingly colors his fur with markers. “That’s how he
finds his wholeness. Similarly, as a person with a disability, I don’t focus on theseizures, I don’t focus on the migraines. I focus
on child development and serving, giving kids what they need.”
Now that the book has been published and is selling well—already in its second printing —Muhlhauser is fulfilling the final part
of her independent study:marketing her book and her “SissyMarySue”pen name through book signings, networking, blogging,
and social media.
As her dream unfolds, she can’t help but think of how supportiveSaint Mary’s has been along the way and how much she looks
forward to commencement in 2016.
“Their belief in me, thesupport for themessages of the book, they’vehelped in every way,”Muhlhauser said of the Saint Mary’s
human development program faculty. “I can’t say enough about the help from Saint Mary’s, it’s been beautiful at every stage.
When I received that kind of support, with that cameincreased confidence. It was invaluable to have peoplerecognize my drive
and my perseverance.”
For more information on Saint Mary’s Master of Arts in Human Development degree, visit the program page.