Susan T. Layug came to the United States from the Philippines as a single parent determined to provide a future for her then-10-year-old son. Like many new adult immigrants, she did what it took to pursue this common dream. She worked as a housekeeper of north shore houses in her early years, then later as an airline reservations agent and as a sales manager of a small-sized home health agency. Through the years, between long hours of work and single parenting, she managed to sneak in her true passion—her personal writings. Her work has won awards, and has been aired on Chicago Public Radio.