Shy Santiago shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Shy, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What do you think is misunderstood about your business?
I think a lot of people get confused about what I actually do. I don’t teach different languages and I’m not fluent in any language. I am a foreign language influencer. I would be considered the hype man or the cheerleader for learning different languages.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Shylene Santiago, and I am the author and creator of 11 bilingual children’s books. I’m also a proud mother of nine, and I’ve introduced my children to more than ten different languages because I believe language is one of the greatest gifts we can pass down.
My mission is to empower young readers, especially in underserved communities, by showing them that bilingualism opens doors to confidence, opportunity, and cultural connection.
What makes my work unique is that it grows out of my own journey as a mother who wanted her children—and children everywhere—to have tools to dream bigger through language. I’ve even sent our English books to children in a small village in Bogotá, Colombia, to support their language learning.
Right now, I’m focused on expanding access to my books and building partnerships so as many children as possible can benefit from the power of language.”
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
When I was growing up I felt like I didn’t have any talents. I believed that I had nothing to offer the world. And I focused on what I couldn’t do. I can’t sing, I’m not good with any sports, I’m not good at cooking, etc. I listened to negative people growing up and lost focus of myself.
I had ADHD as a child so I was put on Ritalin and was told I wasn’t very smart and my life was going to be hard.
I had to learn how to focus on the positive aspects of my life and not what I couldn’t do. I read a quote the other day that really struck me..
Albert Einstein wrote, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
I’m so happy I believe in myself now. And im blessed to have the opportunity to teach my children how important loving and believing in themselves is!
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Yes. I moved to Charlotte NC from Cleveland Ohio with my 7 children. I told my children on August 18th during our weekly family meeting “Mommy is going to get us a new house and we will not have to move for a very long time. We had been living in a house that had a very bad water leak. It was so bad the ceiling fell in my oldest daughter’s Mina room. So that was the last straw.
I heard about how Charlotte NC was growing and was a good place to raise a family and there were good homes and great neighborhoods and good jobs. So I saved up and packed my children up our dog and made the long 8 hour trip to North Carolina. Before I got there I had spoken with a potential landlord and was confident that we had a place and I had an interview at Bright Horizons which is a very good daycare. So everything was lining up Right?
Let’s Fast forward to me siting in Foodlion parking lot balling my eyes out because everything had fell apart and I felt like the worst mother ever. The landlord chose not to rent to me, she said I had to many children even though I told her that on the application and the job was taking longer because of the steps I had to take to become qualified for the position.
We were living in our suv and I had to figure out how we were gonna make it. I had run out of money and I had 7 little people and our dog depending on me to create a miracle. So that was a major time in my life I felt like giving up. I honestly didn’t know what to do..
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
My closest friends would say that making sure my children are okay is the most important thing that matters to me.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. If you laid down your name, role, and possessions—what would remain?
My caring heart. My kindness. My love. My smile. My spirit. My energy.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/learnalanguage4fun
- Instagram: Learn A Language 4 Fun
- Youtube: Multilingual Stars Homeschool
