At 91茄子, professors are intentional in getting to know and mentoring their students, both personally and professionally. When Donna Downs, Associate Professor of Communication, finished the manuscript for her book Always and Forever and was looking for an illustrator to bring her passion project to life, it was natural to seek out a student for help.
Treasuring Relationships, Processing Loss
In Always and Forever, Downs takes the reader on a journey through the eyes of a young girl as she grieves for her grandmother. Downs drew inspiration from her own relationships with her mother and with her granddaughter. Many of the activities and special moments in her book reflect memories with her own granddaughter.
Downs was inspired to write the book after taking a children’s writing class in the Professional Writing major with author Michelle Medlock Adams. As Downs’ mother’s health began to decline, she processed her grief and reflected on the value of creating memories with people while there is still time.
“One of my goals in life – not just in this book, but in life – is to help others see the value of relationship and to show their care and compassion,” Downs said.
Downs said that remembering is part of the grieving process.
“It’s part of having those people live in your heart,” Downs said. “It’s knowing the impact that they made on your life, and that’s the basic theme of the book. It helps us think back to the people who have passed but also helps us realize that we too can create relationships with people that will be meaningful and lasting.”
Finding the Right Illustrator
As Downs was going through the contract process with Redemption Press and looking through the illustrations they provided, she was concerned they did not match the content of her book. She reached out to Jonathan Bouw, Department Co-Chair and Professor of Art, and asked if he knew of any illustration students who would be interested in working on her book.
Bouw connected her with Elena Delzer '24, who was a senior at the time. Delzer agreed to illustrate Downs’ book, excited to step into the opportunity during her last year at Taylor. Delzer graduated in 2024 and currently works as a graphic designer for Regent University at Virginia Beach and as a freelancing illustrator.
Delzer was even able to use her drafts as part of a class project for Illustration 3. She received feedback from her professor, her classmates, and Downs. Through their feedback and encouragement, Delzer created illustrations that worked with the story. As they collaborated, Downs and Delzer prayed over the story and its audience.
“She really cared about it,” Downs said. “Throughout our time of working together, she was intentional about thinking about the people who would read the book. It was awesome working with her.”
Downs and Delzer agreed that if they touched even one life, the book would have been worth it. Downs hopes people pass down Always and Forever through generations, sharing the message of hope through loss.
