Some people live their whole lives wishing they had different jobs or that they had done something different with their lives.

Not Sara Villanueva.

The St. Edward’s University Psychology professor said she’s found her calling in education, specifically teaching Psychology. Her professional life couldn’t be more different than the lives of her parents, Manuel and Rosita Villanueva, migrant workers who did not go to college.

And now she is enjoying a singular achievement with the publication of her first book, “The Angst of Adolescence.” She read from her book and answered questions from the audience on Sept. 20 at Barnes & Noble.

“When I had children of my own I know I always wished there was a manual for parenting teens. I was always curious if I could write a book and I am always up for a challenge, so when I got the opportunity to take sabbatical I knew it was the perfect opportunity to try something new,” Villanueva said.

The book is a guide for parents of teens. It offers answers and comes from Villanueva’s experience as a single mother raising four children. The book gives parents reassurance that they are not alone.

During an interview with Hilltop Views after the book reading, Villanueva said that she’d rather talk about her personal story.

She grew up in Austin in what she described as a traditional Mexican-American family. Her father worked at the University of Texas-Austin as an upholsterer, earning his GED at 45. Her mother, a stay-at-home mom, ran the house and kept Sara and her three brothers in line, Villanueva said.

Ten years after finishing undergrad Villanueva moved to Florida with her husband at the time and three children. Forced to move to Florida she took advantage of the opportunity to try something new, she applied for graduate school at the University of Florida.

Shortly after this move Villanueva and her husband decided to get a divorce. She balanced grad school and single motherhood and got herself through grad school. After grad school Sara moved back to Austin and is now a psychology professor at St. Edward’s University.

The book is a guide for parents of teens. It offers answers and comes from Villanueva’s personal experience raising teens. The book gives parents reassurance that they are not alone and works as a manual for parenting teens.

“I am certainly open to writing more books in the future, but there are currently no plans for one,” Villanueva said.

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