Neal Shusterman was born in Brooklyn, New York. He was adopted by Charlotte and Milton Shusterman, a Jewish family with roots in Ukraine. He grew up in the public school system there until the age of 16. During his time in the Brooklyn public schools, he recalls a moment that shaped the path of his life. Herth Apostian*, his ninth-grade English teacher, challenged him to write one story a month for extra credit in her class. Neal was failing due to late assignments and struggled with time management, so his teacher gave him that challenge.

Neal accepted, and by the end of the school year, he began to see himself as a writer. During one of those months, he entered a writing contest and lost. That’s when Ms. Apostian taught him his first lesson: “This is your first lesson as a writer; it’s called rejection. Deal with it.”

Soon after he turned 16, he and his family moved to Mexico City, Mexico, where he continued his high school education at the American School Foundation. The American School Foundation helped shape the man he became because of its unique environment. It’s an independent school with international students from around the world. The school follows the American system, but it has very few American students—Neal being one of the few. This opened his eyes to many different cultures and challenged him to understand people from all walks of life. Growing up in a Jewish household with ties to Ukraine also helped him connect to other cultures, which led to his love for psychology.

After graduating from ASF, Shusterman attended the University of California, Irvine, where he double-majored in theater and psychology—not writing. Neal had dreamed of becoming a writer from a young age, and during his studies in college, he continued to write while also joining the varsity swim team. One of his professors challenged him to write outside of his comfort zone of fantasy and science fiction, which led him to experiment with different types of stories—something he still does today. Neal has conquered many different creative fields and continues to expand his talents.

*He later reconnected with Ms. Apostian and gave her a stack of his most famous books. He presented her with an award and told her the impact she had on his writing career. She has since passed away.