“Bad things happen to all of us, things that test us and impact us and change us, but it is not those moments that define us. It is how we choose to react to them that does.”  —Kaitlin Roig-DeBellis

On December 14, 2012, Sandy Hook Elementary School teacher Kaitlin Roig-DeBellis saved the lives of fifteen six- and-seven-year-old students by piling them into a single-occupancy bathroom in her first-grade classroom. But Choosing Hope is not about what happened at Sandy Hook. It’s a testament to the choice we can all make to choose hope in order to conquer tragedy, even in our darkest hours.

Choosing Hope’s five sections—Purpose, Perspective, Choosing Your path, Choosing to Overcome, and finally Choosing Hope—provide a clear and organized road map that will inspire and teach readers to overcome their own personal tragedies, whatever they may be. Like Kaitlin, who was able to find purpose and optimism in the most difficult of circumstances by improving the lives of those around her, readers will see how they can use the tenets of gratitude, endurance, purpose, and the power of choice to live positively and with hope.

Kaitlin Roig-DeBellis is the founder of the nonprofit Classes 4 Classes, Inc and an inspirational speaker for teachers and organizations across the country. Previously, she was a first-grade teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Roig-DeBellis contributes to a biweekly educational blog for The Huffington Post and has been honored as a Glamour magazine Woman of the Year and chosen as a “L’Oréal Paris Women of Worth.” In 2013, she received two honorary doctorate degrees and the Dedicated Teacher Award from The Chicago International Conference on Education.