Andrea White wears a lot of hats. Wife, mother of three, author, education advocate, good friend to many, and Houston’s First Lady—a role she views as a truly unique and wonderful volunteer job. In her volunteer jobs, Andrea focuses on education, children’s issues, and outreach opportunities that bring people together to get things done in Houston.
One initiative that combines all her passions is “We're All Neighbors.” Each month, there’s a different program with different groups of people at different venues. Themes have ranged from the Persian New Year to environmental stewardship; from honoring Houston’s consular corps to celebrating Houston’s cultural life. For Andrea, the highlight each year is the “We’re All Neighbors” Mother’s Day picnic they host for hundreds of battered women and their children living in area shelters.
Another special day for Andrea each year is when she joins over 1,000 Houston volunteers on a Saturday morning in September to “Reach out to Dropouts.” “Reach out to Dropouts” is part of Expectation Graduation, an organization dedicated to keeping all kids in school until they get their degrees. Andrea serves on the board of Expectation Graduation, which has also pioneered the use of virtual mentors for at-risk students.
When Andrea is not working hard making sure that kids are reading, she’s writing books for them. She is a recipient of the Golden Spur Award for Best Young Adult Texas author. Her first book for pre-teens, Surviving Antarctica: Reality TV 2083, was published in 2006. In 2008, Window Boy, a story about a young boy in a wheelchair who has Winston Churchill as an imaginary best friend, was released. Her third book, a coming of age story set against the Chernobyl nuclear explosion, is set for release in 2009.
