It takes a whole community of us here at BCFES to help ensure access, retention, and graduation of all students with a lived experience in foster care. To show our appreciation, we are featuring fellow staff members to share a little bit of their world and the passion they have for the students we serve.
This month, to celebrate Women's History Month, we interviewed Angela White from our executive committee. We hope her story inspires you as much as it inspires us!
Angela White
President & CEO at Child Advocates San Antonio (CASA)
About Angela:
I am from the United Kingdom and came to Houston, Texas in 2007, moving to San Antonio in 2012. I am proud to be a dual citizen in my adopted home. My husband and I have a blended family of four adult children, three dogs and a parrot.
The majority of my career has been in the corporate world and ranges from finance to major IT implementations, creating a training division, manufacturing, production and shipping and running international customer service teams. In all these roles relationships and collaboration was essential.
Throughout my career, I have mentored and coached teams and individuals, so starting a Life coaching business in the UK, was a natural fit. I worked with corporate and private clients to ensure successful results. It was a satisfying and fun business. In 2020, I completed an MBA in Leadership and Sustainability.
I have served as the Chief Executive Officer of Alpha Home, a not-for-profit focused on the treatment of substance use, for women. I then took a hard and bold decision to join Chosen Care, as their Chief Operating Officer. This move was due to my passion for the welfare of children and the personal connection I have in the field. Now as the President and CEO of Child Advocates San Antonio (CASA), I truly feel this is my forever home.
The not-for-profit sector is challenging and worth every minute of the dedication it takes, as you truly know you are making a difference.
I am driven by a desire for all people to know that they can choose a fulfilling life. Where you start does not determine where you finish.
As a successful professional with a history in the foster system, what advice would you give to young people pursuing college and a future career?
A: What you choose now does not define the rest of your life! Do not pressure yourself to try and figure out the rest of your life now. You can have many different careers in your life. I have had five different careers and I am pursuing my Ph.D. and I am over 50!
What goals do you have for CASA moving forward to support unique needs of youth involved in child welfare?
A: We are currently working on organizing a Youth Council for San Antonio and Bexar County. This council will give the children in foster care a voice at a local and state level. Who better to talk about the needs of children in the system! For CASA specifically, our goal is to recruit enough volunteer advocates so we can serve 100% of the children in care.
What is your perception on how BCFES has helped to improve educational trajectories for youth and care?
A: BCFES has used a very intentional approach to connect with youth from middle school and high school to ensure focus on the long-term benefits of education - to fill in a gap that so often has not been filled for children in the care system. Consequently the youth are able to utilize the benefit of free college tuition, as well as providing wrap-around services such as technology, housing, food and general supportive services. Child Advocates San Antonio are thrilled to be part of this venture.
Angela, thank you for taking the time to share your work with us. We appreciate you and all of the work you do!