Mary B. Mackley attributes her passion for History and Civics to inspirational teachers in her youth. She worked as an interpreter for a National Historic Site during and after college, before becoming a nurse. Throughout her years working as a nurse, she embraced her role as teacher with her patients. Teaching others, she believes, empowers them with knowledge. Her passion for History, love of collecting books and research, and a desire to empower fellow citizens and others, led to her writing her Civics Handbook.