|
|
|
| "An education gave me the opportunity to view the world from extraordinary places." |
"Education Saved My Life" Judy C. Andrews "As a high school teacher, I've always
encouraged students to dream big," says author Judy Andrews who released her first literary and suspenseful
novel, An Ocean of Jewels, in June 2006. "I always dreamed I'd be a writer, from the time
my eighth grade English teacher, Mrs. Abate, returned my first short story to me. She said it was 'excellent.'
Hearing someone use that word and my name in the same sentence exhilarated me because I had never thought that anything
I had ever done in life up until that time, had been excellent.
So I was thrilled, and I decided that day that I would dream big, although I didn't even know what that meant, and be
a writer. In high school and college I wrote every chance I got, even for free. If you really love what you do,
you don't care that much about the money. Everybody wants to get paid, but what's the point if you don't
love the work you do."
Today, Ms. Andrews has the best of both worlds: she's a high school English teacher in Brooklyn and a writer. "I
live comfortably," says the vivacious author, "and I'm passionate about both jobs. Education saved
my life!" Ms. Andrews has been a teacher for 16 years. Many of the students who visit her classroom
have similar experiences she's had, especially students who live in foster care. "I originally wanted
my novel to be about the foster care system through a child's eyes, but as I continued writing, I found myself with a
more intense story."
The novel, An Ocean of Jewels has a few scenes that are similar to the author's life, although
it is a work of fiction. In the novel, the major character, Imani Jewel Henderson, finds herself on a journey to heal
from the scars of foster care. At age 29, she realizes that her childhood was filled with many family secrets as
well as tragedy. Her biological parents were never nurturing; they were distant and too engrossed in their
own pain to tend to Imani's heartaches. For example, in one scene, Imani must attend her father's funeral
and wear a "fabulously fake" smile to let others believe that she and her father had a beautiful friendship.
Nothing could be further from the truth. At age eleven Imani is placed in a group home because her mother commits suicide
and her father's wife refuses to let her live in their home. On the same night, Imani's grandmother, Nana
Zola Jewel dies. The next day, Christmas day, Imani tries to celebrate her 12th birthday, but the hurt she feels
keeps her from any joy for that day or many holidays to come.
Ms. Andrews was taken at the age of eight out of her mother's house to a group home by her father. She
remembers, "It was a week before school began, and my father told me he was taking me shopping. I was happy about
that. But we never ended up at a store--we ended up at a building in New York City's Bowery neighborhood--an orphanage,
which today would be called a group home--named St. Barnabas. No one ever explained why I had to be placed there.
I cried myself to sleep that night because as I child I couldn't understand why my own father would take me to a
place like that and leave me without saying a word. It wasn't until years later when I was an adult that I understand
the kind of poverty I was living in with my mother. She was blind and diabetic and couldn't nurture me properly.
It broke her heart to give me up to the State. My father was married, yet separated from his wife. He
had another family. I was devastated when I was placed in foster care, where I remained until I was emancipated
at age 21. The following year, my mother died. My father had passed on when I was 15. So, I had to really
grow up fast, and this experience shaped the way I viewed the world. But thank God for books: Maya Angelou,
Toni Morrison, Piri Thomas, Rosa Guy, James Baldwin--these authors, through their books, showed me another
world--thank God for Oprah!!! Her shows saved my butt when I entered the work world. A whole lot of praying and
music--Maxwell is my favorite musician--saved my life." Like the character, Imani, in the novel, Ms. Andrews
used education to better her life. She graduated from high school, and went on to college to earn a Bachelor of Arts
degree in liberal arts and science, and a Master of Arts in creative writing. "Like the character, Imani, in the
novel, the scars of foster care are still there, but I've had many extraordinary opportunities. I've worked
as a child advocate for former president Jimmy Carter. I've worked as an executive secretary, an intern at WCBS-TV,
a freelance writer, and as an editor for a romance magazine. I've traveled to Africa, Hawaii, and Canada as
well as throughout the United States. I had great social workers and great mentors in my life--as well as angels helping
me along the way on my journey. I am so grateful to God for just being alive, and I continue to dream big!" Ms. Andrews looks forward to completing her second
novel, Water/Thirst/Hunger, about a love affair a woman has with an African American relief worker who
suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after surviving the Rwandan genocide of 1994.
|
|
EDUCATION
The City College of New
York,
College
of Liberal Arts and Science
Master of Arts: English, Creative Writing; May 1988
Bachelor of Arts: Liberal Arts and Science;
February 1987
EXPERIENCE
Author,
An Ocean of Jewels;
Publication
Date: June 2006
·
Published by The Harlem Writers Guild Press, an
imprint of iUniverse
Boys and Girls High School; English
Teacher; 9/90 - Present:
- Instructed special education students in the techniques of The Balanced Literacy Program, taught journalism, literature,
and coached students for the ELA Exam.
Gralla Publications; Editorial
Management Assistant; 2/90 - 9/90:
- Wrote and reported on articles of business and technology for trade publications; line edited copy; researched industry
trends for editorial content.
Freelance Writer, 1/83 - 2/91
- Wrote, edited, and published articles for local magazines and newspapers.
Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising;
Executive Secretary to the Vice President of Advertising Copy; 11/86 - 1/90:
- Proofread and formatted advertising copy using computer graphics programs; coordinated executive meetings and travel
itinerary; typing, 80 words per minute.
Sterling’s
Magazines; Editor; 7/85 - 8/86:
- Supervised a monthly editorial staff for four national romance publications; wrote articles on teen music, beauty,
and fashion.
City
College Public Relations Information
Center; Student Aide; 9/83 - 1/85:
- Obtained press facilities for students and guests; compiled educational brochures, reports, and press releases for
The Office of the President of City College.
WCBS-TV, Channel 2; Intern; 9/82 - 2/83:
- Screened television commercials and organized office-related correspondence.
The Children’s Advisory
Panel to the National Commission on the International Year of the Child; New York State Youth Advocate to former President
Jimmy Carter; 1/79 - 1/80:
- Researched teen issues and trends in New York City youth organizations;
assisted the committee chairperson, Mrs. Jean C. Young, in the publication of The Children’s Advisory Panel Action
Report to America’s Children and Youth--1980:
No Time for Mud Pies, New Roles for Children & Youth in Child Advocacy.
|
 |
|
Awards and Accomplishments
The Harlem Writers Guild, Inc., 1988 – Present
Member:
This writer’s organization encourages professional, published and aspiring writers to achieve success and
support in the publishing industry. The organization also represents writers
at national conferences and publishing events.
The National Association for Female Executives
(NAFE) 1995 – 1998
Member:
Female executives are assisted with such services as marketing strategies, professional seminars, workshops, and
conferences.
The International Black Writer’s Conference
The New York Chapter
1988 – 1990:
President:
Writers participated in planning strategies for fundraising and publishing events, maintaining organization budgets,
and all related press activities.
The New York Black Media Coalition
Scholarship Award
for Outstanding Service
in Communications, 1984:
Recipient
CityWomen Award
for Outstanding Contributions
to Campus Life
The City College of New York, 1984:
Recipient
Edwin Gould Services
for Children Achievement Award, 1979: Recipient
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
