One caring adult can change the course of a student's life.
Mya was drowning ... and no one seemed to notice.
Not in the quiet turmoil of her home life. Not in the noise of a busy school day. Not even as her grades slipped and her spark dimmed.
Until one adult did notice.
The Lifeguard is a powerful, true-to-life story set in a fictional school where every adult is committed to one mission: helping students rise, no matter how far they've fallen. At the heart of the story is Mya, a student quietly battling the weight of trauma, poverty, and academic failure. Her story is unique, yet heartbreakingly familiar to educators everywhere.
Through Mya's journey, readers witness the life-changing power of what it means to be a learning lifeguard: a steady, caring presence who refuses to give up on a student in need. You'll see how a team of committed educators comes together to throw lifelines, build trust, and help Maya believe in her future again.
Wall Street Journal bestselling author Damon West calls it "your invitation to dive in," reminding us that ordinary people can make extraordinary impact, just by showing up at the right moment.
This is more than a story ... it's a call to action.
Will you be the lifeguard someone needs?
Nelson, Sherri: - Serving as a learning lifeguard while remaining employed full-time as an instructional leader allows Sherri to connect informally with students and reminds her why she chose to become an educator: She cares about kids and wants to impact their lives positively.Sherri, a former middle school teacher and instructional coach, is currently the Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment for the Brandon Valley School District in South Dakota. A highly regarded educator for three decades, Sherri has worked as an instructional leader in two school districts on both ends of the student achievement continuum: a rural and low-income district (once identified by the state as requiring immediate improvement) and an affluent suburban district (recognized as being one of the best in the state). In both communities, she encountered students who demonstrated academic excellence with minimal assistance and those who needed extra support until they could independently navigate their academic journeys. In her spare time, Sherri finds joy in connecting with educators nationwide and collaborating with them to develop plans for helping every student experience academic success. She was recognized as South Dakota's Curriculum Leader of the Year in 2025 and honored as Huron Middle School's Teacher of the Year in 2011. Sherri authored Learning Lifeguards: Your 10-Step Guide to Building a Team that Motivates Struggling Students to Love Learning and Stay in School and coauthored The Brick House Study Guide. Sherri has also contributed several articles and stories for educational publications and has presented the topic of academic lifeguarding at schools and educational conferences in twenty states.Sherri and her husband are lifelong Minnesota Vikings football fans. They live in Brandon, South Dakota, and enjoy traveling and recreating their favorite restaurant dishes when they return home. Their two daughters teach in the neighboring school district, just eight miles down the road.
