Angelica serves as Secretary of Families Forward Charlotte. Although she grew up in Altamonte Springs, Florida, she has lived in the Charlotte area since 2008 and resides in Davidson, North Carolina with her husband, Brian, and young daughter, Bryce. She graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor of Science degree in K-6 Elementary Education. Shortly after graduation, she moved to Charlotte to begin her teaching career. In her eight years of teaching, she has taught grades 1-8 in both public and independent school settings and has also served as a STEM & Special Programs Coordinator and Summer Camp Director at a local independent school. In 2017, Angelica transitioned out of the classroom and into the field of educational technology with a strong focus on social and emotional learning.

As a young girl, Angelica’s family faced financial adversity while her parents began to establish roots in the United States after migrating from the Philippines. Eventually, her parents built successful careers, which helped push the family out of poverty. Having taught students whose families struggled to meet basic needs, Angelica identified the need for programs that help parents gain educational opportunities and career guidance to help gain the skills needed to acquire jobs that met their families’ needs. After conducting research in social and emotional learning, Angelica strongly believes that students’ success and happiness is rooted in stable, supportive households with strong role models. In 2017, Angelica joined Carrie Christian and the Families Forward Charlotte team to help serve families in the Charlotte community.