Born Grown: The Making of Travis C. Burrell

Born Grown is a biographical sketch that uses the memories and experiences of Travis C. Burrell to paint a very vivid picture of the lives of children who grow-up in neglectful homes and in-and-out of foster care. He had seen so much and been responsible for himself, his siblings, and friend at such a young age that he felt that he was born grown. This life toughens the children who live them, desensitizes them, and matures them in ways that are difficult for others who have grown-up in other cultures to understand. The book is honest and real as told from the point of view of a five-thirteen-year-old. It will make you laugh and cry and hopefully do something to change the lives of children who are growing up like Travis.

Jo Evans Lynn, a native of Greensboro, N.C., taught nearly every grade level and every form of English/language arts during her 37 years in education. She began her teaching career teaching middle school in Charlotte Courthouse, Virginia in 1972, but spent most of the early years of her teaching career in the Alamance County Schools teaching Title I Reading at Clover Garden Elementary School (9 years) and Reading Competency/College Prep English at Eastern Alamance High School (5 years). In 1987, she transferred and continued teaching Title I Reading, English, Journalism, Drama, and Speech & Debate at various high schools in the Greensboro City & Guilford County Schools in Greensboro, North Carolina (Grimsley Senior High School-10 years, James B. Dudley Senior High School-8 years, & GTCC Early/Middle College at Jamestown -2 years). Her diverse experiences as a language arts teacher reinforced her belief that even fiction should be based on real life experiences. In all of her books, the reader shares her experiences during the 1950s & 1960s as an African-American child growing up on the "Colored" side of town in the segregated South and as a teen searching for a place in the world around her in which the rules of life and social order are changing almost daily. Although her subjects are sometimes both serious and controversial, her sense of humor and spiritual faith always shine through as she "speaks" to her readers about the realities of growing up poor and as the second eldest of seven children. She is the divorced mother of three adult children- Janel L. Johnson, Clyde Lynn, III, and Gloria A. Lynn. Travis C. Burrell considers himself to be a survivor of the foster care system and homelessness. Raised in Greensboro, North Carolina, he is now an advocate for both foster care and homeless youth. After seeing the negative effects his two brothers faced after going from the foster care system to the prison system, Travis, through his resilience managed to turn his pain into his purpose. He started by volunteering, mentoring youth and serving his local community. At the age of 28, Travis began working with youth in the foster care system after realizing that many local youths were ending up homeless soon after aging out of foster care. In 2007, Travis founded I Am Now, Inc. a non-profit organization that provided services to homeless young adults, ages 16 through 23 in Guilford County, North Carolina. Soon after he started a transitional housing program for the young adult males, assisting them with successfully transitioning to independent living. Travis has over 15 years of experience mentoring and advocating on behalf of youth, both locally and nationally. Serving as a public speaker, facilitator and trainer for more than 10 years, Travis speaks on topics such as gang awareness, reversing personal power, foster care youth and homelessness amongst youth and young adults.