As a toddler, Andrea was already fixated on books to the point that her parents feared to sit down, because that was an invitation for Andrea to climb into their laps and demand a story. It was a relief when she taught herself to read by age three, after which she began school a year early.

Health problems growing up caused Andrea to miss a fair amount of school, though she quickly discovered that she wasn't falling behind at all. Eventually at age 14, she and her mother decided to forego public school entirely in favor of homeschooling. She sped through general studies, then focused mostly on art school.

This meant, however, that she did not receive a high school diploma - and when her job with the US Postal Service caused more health problems, she found it difficult to find other employment in a difficult job market. After several years of unemployment, filled up with researching and volunteering on the internet, Andrea finally found a program that would allow her to get her GED despite her lack of income.

Now armed with the long-awaited GED, Andrea is comfortably employed, living on her own again with her rabbit as company, and trying to brainstorm a way to go to college without moving back home yet again.