Really awesome news (WNDB grant)

I won one of the five inaugural Walter Dean Myers grants funded by We Need Diverse Books, and I am over the moon!

From the announcement:

October 29, 2015 (New York, New York) – We Need Diverse Books™ (WNDB™)has selected  the first five winners of its first ever Walter Dean Myers Grant: Naadeyah Haseeb, Jami Nakamura Lin, Yamile Saied Méndez, Shveta Thakrar, and Angela Thomas. The winners will each receive a monetary award of $2,000 to support their writing or illustrating career goals.

[ . . . ]

The Walter Dean Myers Grant is named in honor of the celebrated children’s book author Walter Dean Myers (1937-2014). Walter Dean Myers was a lifelong advocate for diversity in youth literature, and a National Book Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. His legacy can be seen in the thousands of lives he touched, including those of readers and authors alike. His legacy is also reflected in the We Need Diverse Books™ organization. WNDB™ seeks to honor his memory by establishing this grant in his name. Winners of the Walter Dean Myers Grant receive a monetary award of $2,000 to support their writing career goals.

Thank you so much, WNDB and the judging committee! I am so honored and grateful.