The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

www.insidehalton.com |OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, May 19, 2017 |18 Marta Marychuk Reporter mmarychuk@oakvillebeaver.com Aitscene `Connected to your Community " Local author writes about hope, resilience by Marta Marychuk Oakville Beaver Staff Oakville resident Sylvia Valevicius spent many years as a high school teacher before retiring and, on a personal journey to hnd herself, becoming an au thor with three independentlypublished books. Valevicius married when she was young. She adored babies. She wanted to have 10 of them. But her marriage broke up after four children -- three boys and one girl were a joy. She spent many years as a single mother wandering "in the desert so-to-speak" before she found another purpose, an other direction, she said. Valevicius returned to school when her kids were a bit older, and got the education she felt in her bones was sorely lacking. "I love reading," she says. "I fell in love with a lot of writ ers." She also has a love for acting and theatrical work, according to her website. Valevicius received three uni versity degrees when she was older than 40. She studied Eng lish literature and dramatic arts at McMaster University, where she graduated with Bachelor' s and Master' s degrees. She went on to earn a Bachelor' s degree in education from the University of Toronto. Valevicius became an English and drama secondary school teacher with the Peel Board of Education. It was a satisfy ing seven-year career with the young, she said. Her hrst two books, Mono logues fo r Youth - Volumes 1 and 2, are stories of the young. "Young people have stories to tell," reads the book jacket. "They have things to say. Their feelings need expression what ever the issues." On her website, she describes herself as "a woman who has been exploring the purpose of life for many years." Her newest book is called MEMOIR OF HOPE AND RE SILIENCE: Passionate LateBloom er Talks Life, Literature, and Personal Empowerment . Her books are available at the Oakville Public Library and on Amazon. Her work-in-progress is a novel called T he World o f SIN - which is set in Oakville. Valevicius is now the grand mother of 13 children. She is active on social media and works as a freelance actor as Joey T. Oliver. Author Sylvia Valevicius's work-in-progress is a novel called The World of SIN - which is set in Oakville. |submitted AIRE ONE MADNESS SALE! HIGH EFFICIENCY FURNACE & CENTRAL AIR PACKAGE INCLUDES: >95.5 % High Efficiency Gas Furnace · High Efficiency Central A ir R 410A Refrigerant ·10 Year Factory W arranty * Call for details J J O H N P A L A D IN O LA W O F F IC E www.jplaw.ca · REAL ESTATE · WILLS & ESTATES CO M M ERCIA L LEASING · CORPORATE 447 Speers Road, Suite 200B, Oakville, O N L6K 3S7 Phone: 905.842.3311 ^!sT Fax:905-842.7433 | > Lim ited Time O ffer CENTRAL AIR OR FURNACE DIAGNOSTIC .SPECIAL www. A IR E ONE.cm HEATING & COOLING CEN TAL AIR O R FURNACE CLEANING BOOK YOURS TODAY! 9 LOCATiONS TO SERVE YOU BETTER OAKViLLE (905) 849-4998