Ilyan Kei Lavanway is a Christian author. He is married and has one son who has Down's syndrome. Mr. Lavanway is the oldest of eight siblings, seven of whom are living as of this writing. He grew up in Washington State, served as a full-time missionary for two years in the Argentina Buenos Aires North Mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and served nearly fourteen years on active duty in the United States Air Force. While attending Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), he completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics at the University of Washington, Seattle. While on active duty as a Minuteman Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) launch officer, he earned a Master of Science degree in Space Studies at the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks. He also served in various academic capacities while on active duty. After leaving the military, Mr. Lavanway opened a new chapter in life, developing a passion for writing.