(Buckingham ’86) Slade Engineers Writing Career

As a mechanical engineering student at Valparaiso University in the 1980s, Suzanne (Buckingham ’86) Slade never dreamed she would become a prolific author of books for children and young adults.

Suzanne (Buckingham '86) Slade

“A Valpo education gives you a wide range of skills that can help you succeed in many fields,” she says, “but the single most important thing I learned at Valpo that allowed me to transition to a writing career was perseverance.”

Slade worked on Delta IV rockets at McDonnell Douglas and designed automotive braking systems at Allied Signal before leaving the field of engineering in 1993 to adopt her first child. Years later, she began to pursue a career in writing. She is now the author of more than 50 books, with a new one, “Adopted: The Ultimate Teen Guide,” to be released by Scarecrow Press this fall.

At Valpo, Slade learned how to research new subjects and successfully manage her time. But professors such as Robert Rose and Gilbert Lehmann ’55 also taught her to never give up.

“Professor Rose’s encouragement and patience proved to me that I could tackle, and even thrive, in new areas if I took it one step at a time,” she says. “Professor Lehmann’s office door was always open, and he knew just the right words to say when I was struggling.”

Slade’s husband, Mike ’87, an electrical engineering major whom she met at Valpo, also has provided continual support.

“I am very thankful God opened the door to writing for me,” she says. “It has allowed me to share my faith in various ways, and I feel blessed to be doing something I love so much.”

Read more about Slade’s books at www.suzannesladebooks.com.