Along with her freelance writing career, Andrea Wilson Woods is a Social Media Specialist at TGIC Importers, INC. She has worked as an adjunct faculty member at Kaplan University and as a resume analyst for Getinterviews.com. At the University of Southern California (USC), Andrea was a graduate teaching assistant; prior to that position, USC's School of Cinematic Arts hired her to be its development writer and editor. As a family service specialist at Mattel Children’s Hospital at UCLA, she facilitated women’s groups in the Legacy for Children research study sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and managed by the Research Triangle Institute. During the seven years she raised her sister Adrienne, Andrea taught primary and secondary school.
At USC, Andrea obtained a master's degree in professional writing with an emphasis in narrative nonfiction. She received her certification in Fund Raising with a focus on Institutional Development from UCLA Extension. A two-time Trojan, Andrea graduated cum laude from USC with a B.A. in humanities that included an emphasis in theatre and a minor in women's studies. During her undergraduate years, she received numerous scholarships and was a member of the Golden Key National Honor Society. Andrea's nonfiction writing has been recognized in the Writer's Digest national competition (honorable mention) and the National Writer's Association contest (sixth place).
A former Air Force brat who was born in Kansas but raised in Arkansas and Alabama, Andrea moved to Los Angeles to pursue Hollywood stardom. In her previous life, she acted in film, television, and theatre; danced at every theme park in Southern California; directed community and children's theatre; and wrote/produced a play in Hollywood. Though she no longer pursues the performing arts, Andrea is still passionate about them and regularly sees performances at the Orange County Performing Arts Center.
Andrea's life changed forever when she gained physical custody of her eight-year-old sister Adrienne in 1994. Raising Adrienne has been Andrea's greatest joy in life; losing Adrienne to liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma or HCC) in 2001 has been her greatest loss. Andrea started Blue Faery because she doesn't want another person to lose a loved one to HCC, and she wants the world to know Adrienne's spirit, strength, and courage.
To learn more about Andrea, click About Me!
