Austin Smith finds his voice in publishing his first children’s book: “Rise Up Ronnie.”
Senior media and communication major Austin Smith never planned to write his first children’s book mid-flight. But on a trip to visit his best friend in Minnesota, inspiration struck, and he finished the final draft of “Rise Up Ronnie” before the plane even landed.
“I sat down and wrote like three different stories and I didn’t really like any of them. Honestly, I just didn’t feel like it conveyed whatever I was actually feeling. When I was on the plane, I was like ‘my brain is flowing right now,’” Smith said. “I took my phone out and just started writing on my notes app, and I knew this was the story.”
Smith’s father had first encouraged him to write a children’s book, so when the plane landed, he immediately called both his parents to tell them he had finally done it.
“Rise Up Ronnie” follows characters Ronnie Rodgers and his best friend Ajax Garcia who aspire to make their first basketball team. When Ronnie goes through trials of doubting his ability to accomplish this, his friend Ajax reminds him that he can.
“Obviously, everyone goes through things, whether that be related to confidence or anything. It doesn’t have to be basketball related, it can just be life related. Parents are not always going to be around. They’re not always going to be able to help you through a situation. So I think writing it for kids and showing them to have friends to lean on, as opposed to parents or teachers is important because, as kids, you’re at elementary school eight hours a day, and that’s your environment,” Smith said.
Omari DeVeaux, Smith’s teammate of four years, said Smith is a best friend and brother to him.
“When he gets to basketball practice, he’s outgoing, he’s loud and outspoken. So I would say that side shows a lot from the aspect of Ajax, the friend who’s helping Ronnie find his confidence,” DeVeaux said. After DeVeaux suffered an injury he said, Smith was always there to encourage him and keep his spirits up.
The publishing journey began in July 2025, right as Smith was preparing for his senior year. He said balancing class registration, graduation plans and booking meetings wasn’t easy.
David Macedo, head basketball coach, said he’s watched Smith grow on and off the court. He said the story reflects Smith’s own personality: a thoughtful, connected teammate with a natural passion for storytelling and making people feel good.
“Austin did an internship last spring, and I think it really stirred his intellect as he’s figuring out what he wants to do when he graduates. I think this is a passion of his. The sky’s the limit for him. I think he’ll continue chasing his passion, and that has to do with writing stories and sharing his journey with others,” Macedo said.
Smith’s publisher is located in Maryland, but he was living in Northern Virginia at the time, so the majority of communication took place over the phone. Additionally, the illustrator was located in the Philippines, so Smith said the whole process required patience to navigate. Smith said the publishing industry can be complex and requires authors to stay involved in every step of the process.
“I had to literally write out page one, the words, and then I wrote out kind of what page one looks like, just to let them have a reference to draw it.” Smith said the art process took almost two months, which he described as “really tough” because of the anxious wait.
Smith said the publishing process will be different for every author, but patience is key. He said the final product is a reflection of the hard work put into it. “Rise Up Ronnie” was published in September 2025.
“It’s a feel-good book. It’s about friendship. My wife has actually read it to her preschool class and shared it with a lot of the teachers,” Macedo said.
Smith said the response to “Rise Up Ronnie” has been overwhelming with love, with families reaching out to share how the story has inspired their children. He said that hearing his parents express pride in seeing him become a published author at 22 has been “a surreal experience.”
“He’s always talked about how he wanted to write, write, write. He tells me that he journals all the time. So I guess finally publishing it has opened up a new,… fiery passion for him to make more books,” DeVeaux said.
Beyond the book itself, Smith’s writing connects to the larger topic of representation in media. As part of his senior project, Smith’s been studying how Black authors are often underrepresented in mainstream outlets such as The New York Times. He said that major platforms play a big role in shaping which stories reach readers.
“It’s one of the most powerful mediums as far as subscribers and viewers. So if a big medium is not giving people these stories, you can’t read what you can’t see. And that’s an issue for me, especially being someone who is a Black author,” Smith said.
For Smith, the lack of coverage of Black authors and Black culture is about more than just visibility, but it’s about the stories that go untold.
“I’m just trying to make sure people are learning about us. We have stories and experiences that are very unique to us and that can be shared with everyone. People think that just because it’s a Black story, you need to be Black to understand it, but it’s just a story,” Smith said.
Smith’s book “Rise Up Ronnie” can be ordered through his website austintheauthor.com or contact austinsmithauthor@gmail.com for purchases and book reading events. Smith can be followed on Instagram @austinsmiththeauthor.
