La Quinta High School Teacher Amanda LaPera Inspires Students Through Her Success Story as a Published Author

• Thursday, November 6, 2025

Amanda LaPera, award-winning author and English teacher at La Quinta High School, continues to inspire her students by turning her own creative dreams into reality. As she celebrates the release of her new young adult novel Dare to Dream with an upcoming book signing at Barnes & Noble Bella Terra, LaPera demonstrates to her students that lifelong success in the arts is possible with passion, persistence, and courage.

LaPera, who has previously published two nonfiction works, debuts Dare to Dream as the first installment in her six-book Desert of Dreams series. The novel has already earned strong reviews from industry professionals for its heartfelt coming-of-age story and relatable characters—qualities that reflect the same storytelling principles she teaches in her classroom.

In addition to her writing career, LaPera serves as the advisor of La Quinta High School’s renowned Creative Writing Program, a four-year UC-approved sequence that allows students to develop their voices as writers, performers, and published authors. The program offers:
• A supportive environment for creative exploration
• Opportunities for students to publish their work in an annual anthology
• Leadership and mentorship experiences through workshops and club activities
• Advanced courses in narrative craft, poetry, playwriting, and performance

Through her dual roles as educator and author, LaPera bridges the gap between the classroom and the professional literary world, showing her students that daring to dream isn’t just a lesson—it’s a way of life.

“We are incredibly proud that our La Quinta students are learning from an educator with such depth of experience as a published author and industry professional,” said Board of Education Vice President Bob Harden. “Ms. LaPera’s achievements remind our students that their creative ambitions are both valid and attainable—and that great storytelling begins right here in our classrooms.”

LaPera’s book signing for Dare to Dream will be held at Barnes & Noble Bella Terra in Huntington Beach on Sunday, November 16, from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, and copies of the book will be available for purchase.

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