A Michiana Life in the Spotlight: Megan Davidhizar

Dedicated educator and published author Megan Davidhizar seamlessly blends her passions for teaching and storytelling, both in the classroom and on the pages of her book. With a commitment to inspiring young minds, Davidhizar builds meaningful connections with her students at Fairfield Junior/Senior High School in Goshen, while also captivating young readers around the world through her debut novel, “Silent Sister.”

Davidhizar’s roots stretch across the Midwest. She spent her early years in Illinois and Wisconsin, attended high school in Louisville, Kentucky, and later moved to Indiana to attend Purdue University.

Initially, Davidhizar planned to pursue a degree in computer graphics. However, after spending a summer teaching middle school students, she discovered a new passion.

“I thought I wanted to spend my career creating pretty pictures in Photoshop, but the summer after high school, I worked at a summer school for inner-city kids where I had my own little classroom of five to seven middle schoolers,” Davidhizar said. “I ended up falling in love with it after just six weeks, and I knew I wanted to teach.”

Realizing her true calling, Davidhizar switched her major to English education, believing English would be the best subject to connect with and get to know her students.

After graduating from Purdue, Davidhizar entered a tough job market. Her first role was an hourly peer tutor at Fairfield Junior/Senior High School. When a full-time teaching position opened, she stepped into the role and has remained at Fairfield for the past 16 years.

Currently, Davidhizar teaches junior-level English, a seventh-grade creative writing class, and a speech course for sophomores through seniors.

“I love building relationships with my students, helping them find books that make them enjoy reading, and seeing what they come up with in their creative writing,” Davidhizar said.

When Davidhizar decided to write a novel, it was her students who ultimately inspired her to begin the journey.

“I had some students who were writing books, and I asked them to do a journal prompt – just to think about what other storylines we could create with a similar theme,” Davidhizar said. “From doing that with them, I came up with a book idea, and that’s when I started writing.”

The road to publication wasn’t easy. Davidhizar wrote three books before securing an agent and landing a deal for her debut novel, “Silent Sister,” through Penguin Random House in 2022.

“I had sent my very first book to my agent at the time, and she rejected me — as she should have,” Davidhizar said. “That book was not ready. I had a couple of full requests from agents, but not much real traction. I decided to write another book, applying everything I had learned from the first one, but instead, I got even fewer requests.”

After struggling to gain momentum with two fantasy novels, Davidhizar decided to switch genres. Her next book – a young adult thriller – became her debut novel.

For Davidhizar, the most rewarding part of being a published author is seeing “Silent Sister” resonate with readers, particularly teens.

“I’ve gotten a few messages from actual teens who read the book and fell in love with the story and characters, which was something I didn’t really expect,” Davidhizar said. “A lot of people read young adult books – teachers, librarians, and other readers — but hearing from actual teens was, and still is, pretty amazing.”

Writing young adult fiction is an intentional choice for Davidhizar. As a teacher, she has witnessed students rediscover their love for reading through the genre. Even she experienced that same reconnection with books through young adult literature.

“My teenage years were such a transformative time of my life,” Davidhizar said. “I love adding hints of my own experiences to hopefully bring some reassurance to teens and allow them to see themselves portrayed in the pages as well.”

Writing a novel and navigating the publishing process offered Davidhizar new insights into the subjects she teaches and the challenges her students might face, making her an even better teacher.

“As I learned more about writing, I realized I was also learning more about reading, which helped me teach,” Davidhizar said. “I had always been a strong writer and hadn’t really struggled, but suddenly trying to write a 300-page book was a challenge. It made me understand how some of my students felt when I assigned them a three-page paper. Experiencing that overwhelm and confusion myself helped me develop better teaching strategies to help them through their own struggles.”

With a second young adult thriller set for release next January, Davidhizar has no plans to slow down. Between teaching, writing, and spending time with her family – often playing video or board games with her kids – she maintains a balance between multiple passions.

As she continues to bring literature to life for her students, Davidhizar’s impact on young minds is felt beyond the classroom for all who read “Silent Sister.” Her work both educates and inspires, leaving a lasting impression on students and book lovers alike.