During several events later that day, Donna talked with older audiences about her own story and the path that took a young girl from Taft through the halls of CSUB and then to the heights of the literary world.
Her 2022 Newbery Award-winning novel is the story of a girl who is transported to another world. Her book “The Last Cuentista,” a mix of Mexican folklore and dystopian fiction, intricately interlaces fantasy, sci-fi and cultural tales to create a unique story of a brave young woman who must pass on her cuentos, or stories, to coming generations despite a new world that’s determined to forget them.
“The Last Cuentista” incorporates several Mexican fairytales, from El Cucuy, to the tale of Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl, and to how the rabbit came to be on the moon. Some are fairytales Donna grew up with, and others she researched on her own to satisfy her own curiosity about her culture.
Donna began her collegiate career attending a UC as a biology major. After a financial discussion with her parents, she realized she would have to transfer to CSUB if she wanted to reach her educational goals, including earning a master’s degree. Once enrolled at CSUB, Donna quickly learned that she was no longer viewed as just another number as she had been at the UC she attended. At CSUB, in a smaller classroom, she knew she would have to work harder.
There were several differences between her brief time at a UC and at CSUB that Donna noted. One of those differences was CSUB’s heavy focus on writing, which allowed her to sharpen her critical thinking and analytical writing.
She also worked as a student assistant in the Chemistry Department. She conducted studies on unique areas of research like bovine saliva’s effects on grass growth. While her research yielded there were none, Donna wondered if she just might be the only one who’s researched this and said that no university other than CSUB would have given her the opportunity to research and conduct an experiment like this.
“Education isn’t about the degree in the end… it’s about the journey,” she said, her thick black curly hair and wide-rimmed black glasses framing her face as her expression gave way into a smile.
Donna graduated from CSUB in 1991 with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology. She would later pursue further education and exploits, taking classes in writing and biology, becoming an eye doctor, raising a blended family and setting up a chicken coop next to the shed where she writes.
Her life has taken an interesting path from CSUB student and graduate, to motherhood, to an optometrist with her own private practice, and finally to a Newberry Award-winning author with several children’s and middle grade books in repertoire. Donna credits her diverse background and willingness to take risks to her belief that exploring new things and wearing multiple hats are an important part of life.
“I’m not brave, just curious,” she said, and then added, “We should always stay curious.”