Her Story
About Angelee
Angelee Rivera is a teacher with 21 years of experience in the education field. After working as a counselor and social worker following her undergraduate studies, she transitioned to teaching upon realizing the lack of resources available to families and drawing inspiration from her father, who never learned to read. She earned a master's degree in the science of reading and finds great fulfillment in empowering students through literacy instruction, celebrating both struggling readers who make progress and advanced readers ready for greater challenges. Rivera describes herself as a servant leader who believes in working side by side with her team. She credits her success to the children she serves and her mother, who passed away during COVID and always envisioned her becoming a principal. After a decade at her current school, Rivera plans to pursue a role as an assistant principal to extend her impact beyond the classroom to teachers and staff. Outside her professional role, she volunteers by feeding the homeless, serving in her church's children's ministry, assisting illiterate adults, and supporting students with special needs through organizations such as Easter Seals and Special Olympics. She advises those entering education to approach the field with an open mind, noting that while the work is challenging, it is deeply rewarding.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Angelee
01What do you attribute your success to?
I would say the children that I work with and my mother. My mother did pass away during COVID but my mother used to tell people that I was going to be a principal all the time had I just started teaching. And so she always had this vision for me and it wasn't until probably recently that I began to believe in myself the way she believed in me all along. So my next step is to become an assistant principal and I feel like my mom's my biggest champion.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Someone coming into education I would tell them to come in with an open mind. And that the work is not easy but it's worth it.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The opportunities I see within the district you know there's teachers who want to be teachers their entire career and they're making an impact in their classroom. Myself wanting to be come out of the classroom setting and go into administration I feel like I'll get to make a broader impact not only just with students but with teachers and staff members. For teachers coming in they're changing lives every single day. The education field is dying for great teachers like we have a teacher shortage.
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