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Meet Angela, Mental Health Associate (MHA) at Rivermont Roanoke Southwest. With a student-first mindset and a steady, supportive presence, Angela helps create a school day where students can build confidence, feel understood, and keep moving forward at their own pace. 

What is your favorite thing about working at Roanoke SW?   

My favorite thing about working at Rivermont is the chance to work with students every day and be a positive influence as they grow, gain confidence, and feel proud of their accomplishments. 

What is something that sets Roanoke SW apart or makes the school special? 

Rivermont SW works hard to put the students first and meet them at their pace. We understand not just their academic needs, but also their emotional needs as well. 

What does a “day in the life” look like for your role?   

I am a Mental Health Associate working with K-2 students, so a day in the life with me means no two days are the same. Some days we have easy days; all students come in ready to learn. Other days can be challenging, and some students need extra support to enter and settle into the school environment. I am always prepared for whatever the day brings and do what's best to help the students succeed. My goal is to make school a place where they want to come and learn and be able to transition back to their home school.  

Can you talk a little bit about your career trajectory and what led you to where you are now?  

I never imagined myself working at a school. I’d worked in the medical field for years and loved working with adults with disabilities. I came across Rivermont and decided to apply. Honestly, I decided on this path due to the hours working well with being a mom with kids in school. That said, immediately upon starting, I realized I was going to enjoy working with children. I have personal experience with children that have a hard time regulating emotions and need extra support which has given me the patience to recognize emotions behind the behavior and respond to the underlying concern. I have learned what works well with my own children, and I have used those tools to help the students I work with.  

How does Rivermont support your professional growth and learning?  

Administration and coworkers are supportive and take the time to listen if you are struggling with something. If I ever decided to become a teacher, I know Rivermont would be supportive and provide the resources to begin that journey. I have learned about the Mandt System, which teaches practical skills for supportive communication, prevention, and safe crisis response, as well as de-escalation techniques. I have also learned more about how the brain works and how students respond when they feel overwhelmed. All of this has piqued my interest and supports my ongoing growth and learning. 

What makes you proud to be part of the Roanoke Southwest team?  

Rivermont makes me proud because of the teamwork and how we share the same goal to help our students succeed. Being able to have good communication and understand what our students and staff need also makes me proud. I love that it's perfectly acceptable to take a minute to decompress after supporting a student through difficult behavior. We are all doing our best, and I love that we see the humanity in each other. 

What is a fun fact about you?   

Fun fact about me is I'm a mom of seven kids and love all things horror and video games. In my free time (which isn't very much), I enjoy playing Dungeons and Dragons with my family. I'm a big nerd!