A reflective exploration of diverse roles and experiences—from educator to artist to mentor—united by a singular purpose: empowering others to recognize their potential while fostering personal growth through presence, compassion, and sustainable leadership.
Her Story
About Andrea
Andrea Dindyal is a special education teacher and coach working with underprivileged students and students with disabilities. She provides direct support and instruction tailored to special needs while also serving as a coach to other teachers, offering advice on classroom management. Prior to her current role, Dindyal worked in corporate education, handling onboarding training and creating manuals for companies including Target and Sephora. She earned her master's degree in diverse needs or special education from NYU in 2023 through an accelerated dual program that combined daytime teaching with evening classes. Dindyal also dedicates time to training and working with children in jiu-jitsu and teaching life skills to orphans abroad, which complements her professional focus on supporting young people. Her drive stems from her experiences with special needs students, fostering deep appreciation for health and strength and encouraging her to pursue new challenges without fear of failure.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Andrea
01What do you attribute your success to?
My drive comes from working with special needs students and seeing how they wish they could do normal things like going to shows, learning to paint, or doing jiu-jitsu. I also do humanitarian work overseas working with orphans. It made me so appreciative of the life I have. If you have your health and strength, you should do whatever you want to do. There is no harm in trying. I tell myself I could fail horribly but at least I tried. I always think what would my 80 year-old self say whenever I look back at a hard decision that I have to make right now.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Try not to take everything so seriously, we all get out of this ride in the same way.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
You have to know yourself first because getting into education you need control over your emotions and patience. You have to understand if you have that drive and patience to be there for the kids and if your heart is in it, because that makes the difference on a bad day. Your heart has to be in it.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The state of the world, you see it at work and deal with anxieties and fears daily.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
My important values is my character and how you show up for myself every day and those who are in need every day. Choosing to do the right thing and extending grace in this world, but also having strong boundaries in both my work and personal life. You shouldn't have to override your boundaries and values, eventually it will cost you much more in the long run.
Her Content Hub
Articles by Andrea
The Courage to Build a Life That Gives Back Without Giving Yourself Away
Finding Purpose Through Teaching, Art, and Personal Growth
When People Ask Me What I Do
When people ask me what I do, the answer depends on the day.
- I'm an educator.
- I'm a trainer.
- I'm an artist.
- I'm a traveler.
- I'm a mentor.
I've worked in special education classrooms, trained employees, painted canvases that tell stories without words, practiced Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and taught children in an orphanage in Thailand. At first glance, those experiences seem unrelated. But over time, I realized they all stem from one purpose: helping people recognize their potential while continuing to grow my own.
Teaching Has Shown Me That Learning Isn't About Having All the Answers
Every day, I analyze data, identify learning gaps, and adapt instruction so each student has an opportunity to succeed. Whether I'm working with a student who has an Individualized Education Program (IEP), preparing a class for standardized testing, or coaching someone through a difficult concept, I've learned that meaningful growth begins when people feel seen, understood, and capable.
That philosophy extends beyond the classroom.
During my time volunteering at an orphanage in Thailand, I worked alongside children from a completely different culture, teaching life skills, sustainability, and encouraging curiosity about the world around them. We didn't always speak the same language, but kindness, patience, and encouragement became a universal language. That experience reminded me that service isn't measured by how much you give—it's measured by how present you are.
Outside of Education, I Paint
Art has become another form of teaching. Every canvas reminds me that growth rarely happens in straight lines. Layers are added, mistakes become texture, and what initially feels unfinished often becomes the most meaningful part of the work. Life has taught me the same lesson.
Brazilian jiu-jitsu has reinforced it even further.
Walking onto the mats humbled me in ways I never expected. It taught me resilience, discipline, and that strength has very little to do with ego. Progress comes from showing up consistently, accepting feedback, and learning from failure. Some of the most valuable lessons happen when you're uncomfortable.
Boundaries Create Space for Better Leadership
As women, we're often praised for being generous, dependable, and selfless. While those qualities are beautiful, I've learned that extending grace to others should never come at the expense of extending grace to yourself.
For a long time, I believed helping everyone meant saying yes to everything. Over time, I discovered that healthy boundaries don't make us less compassionate—they make our compassion sustainable.
- Boundaries create space for better leadership.
- They protect our creativity.
- They allow us to show up fully instead of showing up exhausted.
One of the Greatest Lessons I've Learned
One of the greatest lessons I've learned is that influence isn't about having the loudest voice or the biggest platform. It's about how people feel after they've encountered you.
- Do they leave feeling encouraged?
- More confident?
- More hopeful?
- More capable than they were before?
If the answer is yes, then you've made a difference.
Today, I continue pursuing opportunities in education, learning and development, and leadership because I believe teaching happens everywhere—not just in classrooms. It happens in workplaces, communities, creative spaces, and everyday conversations. Every interaction is an opportunity to help someone learn, grow, or see themselves differently.
Making the world better doesn't always require changing thousands of lives.
- Sometimes it begins with changing one life.
- Then another.
- Then another.
I've learned that influence isn't measured by titles, promotions, or recognition. It's measured by the lives we touch, the courage we inspire, and the example we choose to set every day.
My hope is that wherever life takes me next, I continue to leave people feeling stronger, more confident, and more hopeful than when we first met.
Because, in the end, that is the kind of legacy worth building.
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.