Authors Adriana and George Sifakis Partner with Kris Gulden, Criminal Justice Teacher at T.C. Williams High School

Adriana & George Sifakis, authors of S.W.A.K., a novel of ultimate betrayal, are thrilled to be working with the T.C. Williams High School Criminal Justice Program to promote literacy and resiliency.

S.W.A.K., the story of one girl’s journey through a dysfunctional family and her triumph over an incomprehensible situation is considered a parallel story to Glass Castle, which Criminal Justice students have read during previous semesters.

Adriana and George donated several copies of their book to the program to read along in the classroom with students for the winter session. When introduced to Kris Gulden, T.C.’s Criminal Justice program teacher, Adriana and George were instantly inspired by what Kris was instructing in her classroom, as well Gulden’s own story of personal triumph and resiliency.

Kris Gulden, former Deputy Sheriff of the Alexandria Sheriff’s Office, now employed as a teacher of the T.C. Williams High School Criminal Justice Program, was named a T.C. Williams High School “Titan Transformer” in 2012 and has one extraordinary story. In 1998 Kris was paralyzed when she was off-duty in a car versus bicycle accident. Paralyzed from the chest down, Kris has taken this life challenge and adapted it into efforts of doing good work, by testifying at various congressional hearings on Capitol Hill before committees in support of funding research aimed at curing spinal cord injuries.
Adriana and George released their novel in 2014 and it’s quickly become a best-seller in the D.C .metro area. You may find them on tour at Barnes & Noble, the Old Town farmer’s market, as well as several other local events where a portion of their sales is dedicated to charitable organizations such as the Philoptochos Society, Brides Against Breast Cancer and The Kidney Foundation as well as many others worthy causes.

You can visit Adriana & George’s website at www.swakthebook.com to learn more about their book as well as upcoming events.