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Dawnaya Key of Sullivan with her book Tomate that she recently published.

•January 6, 20201•
By Crystal Reed
NP Writer

One Sullivan resident has taken an important story in her life and published it to share it with others. Dawnaya Key was born and raised in Sullivan and is currently raising her own children in the house she grew up in.
The book is titled Tomate and is described on the cover as an inspirational story that knows no age limit or language barrier. When asked about the title, which means tomato in Spanish, Key said that you find out the meaning of the title in the first chapter.
The story is one that Key has been telling people for years when asked why she became a teacher. She has been teaching upper level and advanced placement Spanish at Mt. Zion High School for eight years and has been in the teaching field for 10 years.
She started the publication process about a week before the state shutdown due to COVID-19. “Managing remote learning, two small children and a book has been challenging,” she said.
She was encouraged by Joyce Russell to write the book when she was student teaching in Mt. Zion. Russell heard her story and told her that she had to write a book. “Because of her, I started to jot down things,” Key said.
Much of the story took place at what used to be Sullivan Health Care, and Key said there is a lot of the Sullivan community in the book. When people ask her why she’s a teacher, she shows them photos of her and an older woman. “I am who I am today because of this woman and her story,” Key said.
She went on to say that she did not write the book for anything but to share her story and faith and share faith with others. “It feels like a weight has been lifted, that the journey to write this book has been completed,” Key said.
The book is dedicated to her children, Zeryk and Zeya, and her past, present and future students. Key related that she wanted to write the book for her children and their children.
Being an author is something that she is still getting used to. “It’s surreal to be able to put my name in a Google search and have my book come up,” she said.
Now that the book has been published in English, Key said that she would eventually like to republish it in Spanish so that Spanish speaking people may hear her story. Her ultimate goal is to have an interview on the Spanish version of Good Morning America called Despierta America. “I would love to sit on stage and be interviewed and share this story,” Key said.
The book is available on Barnes and Noble and Amazon in paperback and as an e-book. If you would like to have a signed book, you may message her on Facebook.
“I want to stay personally connected to my readers and thank as many of them personally as I can,” Key said.[/s2If]