Karen R. Ward.

Karen R. Ward has written nine dramatic works and two books titled It's All About School and The King's Men. Together with being an internationally traveled playwright, Ward is an educator who urges young and older to publish their poetry and art. Ward is founder and chief operating officer of the literary company Gracious Hands.

The main event of the company is a program and outreach called Basic Steps to Develop Your First Book. Ward teaches this self-publishing course to youth and adults and her company has presented numerous "Youth Book Give-A-Ways" in which youth ages 10-17 receive complimentary copies of her book It's All About School.

The Gracious Hands Literary Company partners with several community businesses and institutions in exposing the community to the unique educational material in It's All About School and supplying young people with complimentary copies of this "life-changing" the book. Among these are Cannon Industries, Glen Jeters of Mc Donald Restaurant (Upper Falls Boulevard), Deborah Ham-Whitt (State Farm), Jerome E. Ward Sr. Realtors; and through individuals colleges and students, probation and police officers, school teachers, and parents. Ward has worked also with former World Light Welterweight Boxing Champion Charles Murray and through events at Mood Makers Books to encourage youth to express their thoughts in poetry and drawing.

From New York State to Texas, she has been on the lecture circuit and has led educational and motivational presentations for all ages and in various venues.

Karen Ward's Gracious Hands Literary Company began in Rochester in 1997 to encourage and educate youth and adults in reaching their full life potential through educational, inspirational skits and literature. Her playwriting career began in Africa. On a twelve-day educational tour of Senegal and Ghana she wrote "Freedom in the Motherland," a drama performed during the tour by American and West African actors and musicians.

Earlier in life Karen R. Ward studied creative writing at North Carolina A&T State University (Greensboro) and in Rochester. She graduated with a degree in psychology and has used her education and experience to teach, educate, counsel, mentor, and mediate numerous youth and families in the Human Services. She has provided counsel to at risk youth, gang members, teen mothers and people suffering mental illnesses and youth entrepreneurs. For more than eight years she has been a certified mediator and is now working on a graduate degree at SUNY Brockport/Nazareth College in Social Work.

Ward is the daughter of entrepreneurs Jerome and Gloria Ward Sr. who have owned Jerome E. Ward Sr. Realtors Company for more than 25 years. Karen Ward is also a New York State licensed real estate agent. She is engaged to be married in November of this year to Albert Wilder III and is an active member of the New Life Fellowship Church.

Her favorite quote is "The youth are our future. Let's compassionately cultivate, encourage, teach, mentor and genuinely love our youth and the youth in our communities."

Karen R. Ward can be reached at Gracious Hands Literary Company: www.Karenrward.com or Kwgracioushands@yahoo.com.