MaryPat is a combined pseudonym for the collaborative efforts of Mary [MaryEllen Zeman-Tinsley] and Pat [Patricia Jo Dustman], including the merged final syllables of both of their surnames. Professional colleagues for nearly two decades, during that relationship, the two discovered a shared love of language, storytelling, and narrative verse. Following their formal retirement, the two began to collaborate to create this volume to share with others. Although the focus of their pieces and the styles of their writing differ widely, they discovered that these diverse views revealed shared themes of experiences. They hope you agree. MaryEllen, a behavioral health expert, specialized in the areas of women's health; pregnancy and addition; recovery in many settings; and prevention. For over three decades, her work focused on leading non-profit organizations in their missions of "serving the underserved" through developing and finding funding for specialized programming, housing, and clinical interventions. Pat, whose background focused primarily on PreK through Grade 12 public education, spent her nearly three decades teaching and administering public schools in both Ohio and Arizona. Following her years in public education, she joined a prevention research team at Arizona State University specializing in developing interventions for substance abuse prevention for youth and families.
