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About Dr. Erin Peterson

A proud author, educator, and special needs advocate.

Visit embracedbyerin.com to learn more.

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My Story

Erin, along with her two younger siblings, was born and raised in beautiful Bemidji, Minnesota. Growing up in a family of educators, she recognized the value of a quality education and chose to pursue teaching as well. Erin graduated from the University of North Dakota (UND) with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a minor in mathematics. During this time, she was also part of the UND women’s tennis team. Upon graduation, she taught fourth grade, while also completing her Master’s degree through a first year teacher/mentoring program. Erin then taught eight years in fifth grade before receiving her PhD in Education, with an emphasis in literacy.  Erin has a true passion for education and has loved every role she has played in the past 17 years, including student teacher, substitute teacher, elementary teacher, cooperating teacher, paraprofessional, tennis coach, standardized physical exam teaching associate, and adjunct faculty member.  She has fourteen years experience teaching various literacy courses in the Education Department at the University of North Dakota as an adjunct faculty member.

Erin welcomed the birth of her amazing daughter, Everly, in 2015. Shortly after birth, Everly was diagnosed with an extremely rare syndrome called Megacystis Microcolon Intestinal Hypoperistalsis Syndrome (MMIHS). For more information on this syndrome, please visit mmihs.org.   MMIHS affects the motility of the bladder and gastrointestinal system and is tremendously complex. Erin’s daily roles with Everly, beyond mom, have included primary medical caretaker, advocate, teacher, and one-on-one paraprofessional, to name a few. She has spent time in the U.S. Capitol and at other various large-scale medical conferences advocating for rare diseases such as MMIHS. She is also the vice president of the MMIHS non-profit organization, founded in 2017 by Everly’s Aunt, Mollie Caspers. Erin’s experience with Everly has opened a whole new world of education, allowing her to think beyond the walls of a classroom.  This children’s book is one example of that!

A Note from the Author: My inspiration for this book is a combination of all that my daughter and these other educational experiences have taught me. I am thrilled to share it with the world and believe it will have a positive impact on the mental well-being of children everywhere!


 

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© 2025 by Dr. Erin Peterson

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