For Children’s Author Rob Buyea ’99, G’00, Writing Is Both 'Humbling and Rewarding'

When Rob Buyea ’99, G’00 first began teaching, he remembers talking to his students about writing and challenging them in their skills—but he wasn’t doing that himself.

“Simply put, that didn’t sit well with me, so I got started. I said to myself, ‘You can talk the talk, but can you walk the walk?’” says Buyea, reflecting on his journey out of the classroom and toward publishing award-winning middle grades novels

These days, Buyea doesn’t so much walk as run. The former Orange wrestler, elementary and high school teacher, and wrestling coach is now the Penguin Random House author of two popular book series—”Mr. Terupt” and “The Perfect Score”—and the stand-alone novels, “What Comes Next” and “The Daredevils.” Much in demand, Buyea visits schools across the country and—virtually—throughout the world.

Despite his success—which includes numerous accolades for his books—Buyea, who studied biology and elementary education in the School of Education, remains humble about the origins of his vocation: “I began writing so that I could become a better teacher of writing, and that happened because of my students. They were my inspiration.”

With his inspirational students and inquisitive readers in mind, Buyea put aside his latest manuscript to discuss “creative concoctions,” why he prefers not to physically describe his characters and whether Mr. Terupt will ever star on the big screen.