Who doesn't love to hear that someone local is doing great things for the world around us? A few weeks ago I had the great pleasure of meeting a local woman, born and raised in the Arlington Heights area, that is trying to make waves in not only our community but in the world. Her sister-in-law and herself are in the process of writing a series of children's books aimed at little girls about famous women from the past that have achieved great things. They transform these women's stories into fairy tales that little girls will fall in love with. They want to inspire a new generation of girls with their stories and let them know they can do whatever their hearts desire if they just put their mind and heart into it. I had the wonderful opportunity to ask Andrea Doshi, one of the authors of the upcoming Queen Girls series, some questions about their journey with this outstanding project.
Here is a little basic information about the authors:
Andrea Doshi was born and raised in Chicago by a multicultural family that always encouraged her to dream big. She graduated with a Master's degree in Speech Pathology and worked within the Chicago Public Schools. She has spent the past couple of years on the road, exploring different countries and cultures. She defines herself as a dream-catcher, special needs advocate, wanderess, artist, and cyclist. She is inspired by traveling, the beauty of nature, and the true feeling of joy -- and she is determined to share what it feels like to be driven by inspiration with as many children as possible!
Jimena, Andrea's sister-in-law, was born in Argentina and raised in southern Spain by very young and adventurous parents. They are the type of people who take risks, do and undo things, and keep moving with a smile on their face no matter what the results are! She feels this helped feed her entrepreneur soul. She thrives in the process of bringing ideas to life and dreams to reality. Always passionate about psychology, she is now getting trained to become a Life Coach. She understands that her purpose in life is to help others discover what their dreams are and to go after them!
What is your MISSION?
Andrea: Our Queen Girls mission is to inspire young girls to follow their dreams and envision them as possible. This is why our fairy tales are based on stories of real women. In order to reach as many girls as possible, we stand on a One for One Model - for every book purchased, one will be donated to local and international organizations that fight illiteracy and empower women.
What do you want to accomplish?
Andrea: We want our collection to teach young girls that with a dream and hard work, they can be anything they want. Absolutely anything. We want to read our girls stories that are free from stereotypes. We want to provide them with books in which they can see themselves reflected, encouraging them to go and chase their dreams!
What inspired/encouraged you to write Queen Girls?
Andrea: I have been working with children my whole life, and I have also spent a significant amount of time traveling. My love for children and the lessons I've learned traveling have inspired me to try and be something bigger than myself. I've always lived by the quote, "Be the change you wish to see in the world." When my sister in law Jimena, an entrepreneur at heart and very creative soul, approached me with this idea, I saw a perfect opportunity to be that change. I jumped right on it!
Is there one specific moment when you knew this was what you wanted to do?
Andrea: The amazing response we received from the community during our Kickstarter campaign was truly incredible. We were reassured that our beliefs are shared by many and we have now created a community that really is the force driving us as we move forward.
What lessons/values do you hope kids will learn?
Andrea: We want kids to learn what it means to dream and what it takes to make a dream come true through passion, drive, determination, self-confidence, and hard work.
What lessons/values are you learning through this process?
Andrea: Someone recently told me, "you practice what you preach." The lessons/values we are trying to teach our children are exactly what we are experiencing. Making our dream a reality requires passion, drive, determination, self-confidence and hard work, and this is exactly what my sister in law and I are practicing ourselves!
What can we do to support you in the community?
Andrea: By spreading the love, our message reaches more children. So please go ahead and share the message - with friends, family, teachers, and mommies. We'll be forever grateful!
