Meet Angela
My story is about resilience, community, and service.
I grew up here, built my life here, and raised my family here. I started working young. I learned that people do not get through life alone. Every opportunity I have had came because someone believed in me, a teacher, mentor, family member, professor, coworker, union brother or sister, or neighbor.
My path has not always been easy. Like many families, mine has known joy, hardship, loss, uncertainty, and moments that changed the course of our lives. Those experiences did not define me, but they shaped me.
When I first visited St. Catherine University, I intended to become a teacher. Then I learned about social work, and something clicked. It matched the way I had always seen the world: every person has worth, every story has context, and every challenge is connected to something larger.
All these life experiences taught me resilience, empathy, and the importance of having people around you who believe in your future.
How I See The World
I originally planned to become a teacher. In fact, that dream began when I was five years old. My Grandpa Bob bought me a chalkboard and a little red school desk, and my younger brother became my one and only student.
Then life got in the way.
Before I knew it, I was a 44-year-old first-time college student in St. Catherine University’s College for Adults, planning to earn a degree in education. During my campus visit, the admissions counselor suggested I take a closer look at the social work program after hearing my story. By the time I left that day, I knew I had found the path that matched how I already saw the world.
Social work gave language to something I had always believed. People do not live in isolation. We live within systems. Our schools, healthcare, workplaces, housing, government, and communities all shape our opportunities and our challenges.
I’ve always been a macro-level thinker, although I didn’t know there was a name for it until my professors pointed it out. I’ve never been satisfied with simply asking “How do we fix this one problem?” I naturally want to know why the problem exists in the first place. What caused it? Who is affected? What else is connected to it?
That way of thinking has shaped how I approach leadership. I don’t believe in preserving systems simply because they’ve always existed. I believe in preserving what works, improving what doesn’t, and making sure our institutions continue to serve the people they were created to serve.
Sometimes that means making small improvements. Other times it means stepping back and asking whether the system is still accomplishing what it was designed to do. If it isn’t, we shouldn’t be afraid to rethink it.
Everything is connected. Education affects our workforce. Housing affects health. Mental health affects public safety. Economic opportunity affects families. When we understand those connections, we make better decisions.
That is how I lead. I listen first. I ask questions. I look at the evidence. I want to hear from the people living the experience before deciding what should come next. I don’t believe anyone has all the answers, but I do believe we find better answers when we take the time to understand the whole picture and work together to solve problems.
Every Piece Matters.
People often ask where I stand on the issues. That matters. But before we talk about policy, I think it’s just as important to understand how I approach decisions.
I’ve always been someone who asks why. Why do some communities thrive? Why do some families struggle? How are education, housing, healthcare, public safety, jobs, and our environment connected?
Long before I knew the term “macro-level thinker,” I was looking for the bigger picture. My professors noticed it before I did. Every piece is part of the puzzle, and if we leave out one piece, we don’t see the full creation.
That’s how I’ll lead: by listening first, seeking evidence, staying curious, and never losing sight of the people behind every policy.
“The strongest communities aren’t built because we all think alike. They’re built when we take the time to understand one another, see the whole picture, and work together toward something better.” — Angela Thompson