Saint Teresa of Ávila

I was born in 1515 in Spain. I was an intelligent and thoughtful child. I liked to read the Bible and stories of the lives of the saints. The idea of sainthood appealed to me very much. But on the other hand, I also liked romance stories and rebelling. At the age of sixteen I was sent to a convent for my studies and at 21 I decided to become a nun. During my life, I taught people how to pray. I wrote books to help them. I founded the religious Order known as the Discalced Carmelites. I died in 1582 at the age of 67.