She’s An Award-Winning Children’s Book Author & CEO

Meet Andrea, also known as Ms. Impactor, an Adjunct Professor at Harris Stowe State University and an award-winning children’s book author. Read on to find out how Spanish propelled her to success.

BGLL: Thank you so much for agreeing to share your story! Tell us about yourself. Who are you and what do you do?

Andrea: My name is Andrea Scott, also known as Ms. Impactor, and I’m from St. Louis Missouri. I have a Master's in Education and am currently pursuing a Doctorate's degree in Leadership and Education. By day, I am an Adjunct Professor at Harris Stowe State University. By night, I am the CEO of Smile Big, Dream Bigger LLC, a tutoring service I’ve created, where I teach individuals the Spanish language in a fun and interactive way. When I am not teaching, I visit different places around the world as an award-winning bilingual children's book author to promote all three of my books: Smile Big, Dream Bigger, The Bigger the Fro, the More I Know, and No Limit to Greatness.

BGLL: Wow, those are some amazing accomplishments! Tell us more about your language journey. How did you get started with Spanish? Do you speak any other languages?

Andrea: English is my native language and I speak Spanish fluently. I am also currently learning Arabic. I work with people from different places in the world and it’s important that I’m able to communicate with them. The people I work with inspired me to learn more languages. I was nervous about learning other languages because I was too worried about not pronouncing terms correctly. My constant reminder to get trying was what helped me to get over the fear. 

BGLL: Which language do you like best?

Andrea: Spanish is my favorite because I feel like it is part of me. I learned the language very quickly, and now I am able to share my knowledge with others.

BGLL: What tips would you offer to someone looking to learn another language?

Andrea: First, immerse yourself in the language (start doing everything in that language-talking to people who only speak the language you are learning. Second, read books in your target language (books you’ve already read in your native tongue). Lastly, travel.

BGLL: How can we keep up with you on social media?

Andrea: You can find me on Instagram @smilebig_dreambigger and on Facebook on Smile Big, Dream Bigger.