Who’s Minding the Store? The Ladies of Nolan Elementary-Middle School (Part 1)

November 8, 2013 · Filed under Contributors File · Tagged Angela Underwood, BE Culturally Exposed, Bonnie Odom-Brown, Community gardening, Detroit, Education Achievement Authority, Garden, Gardening, Maura Ryan-Kaiser, Michigan First Credit Union, Nolan Elementary-Middle School, Nolan's Fierce Gardeners, Planting The Seeds, Project Sweet Tomato, Snelling Staffing Services, Urban Gardening

In the years that Project Sweet Tomato has worked with B.E. Culturally Exposed at Nolan Elementary-Middle School “Planting the Seeds” garden, though we had decent community support, we did not get much support from the school itself.  Yes, it was more than nice of them to let us “destroy” their playground landscape, but other than that only one staff member, teacher Michelle Schwendemann, personally knew what was going on.  Unfortunately for us, she was moved to another school, so until the state takeover of a numbers of schools (which Nolan was one of) we were pretty much on our own.  Good, but it could be better!

Then comes, Ms. Angela Underwood, a Missouri native that literally blew in like a dust storm on the plain.  I believe it was the first weekend she was on the job, before the school had opened, that she and her husband came out to introduce themselves to us and the garden.  She has a nice drawl, which I like to call a twang that let us all know she was “down-home”!  She was more than pleasant and you could tell right then that she was here to try and make a difference.  And a difference she has made!

“Since Nolan opened its doors last year after joining the Education Achievement Authority of Michigan, it has been the primary mission of administration and staff to provide students with an array of opportunities that would afford them growth both academically and socially.  After interviewing several students and parents at the beginning of the 2012-13 school year, it was evident to this administration that such opportunities had been limited in previous years, with the exception of one relentless organization that refused to give up on Nolan students or their families…B.E. Culturally Exposed!

–Principal Angela Underwood–

I can remember sitting in the administrative office when she came in…walked up to me and stated, “This is an African-American school and I believe that this school should know the Black National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing”, don’t you agree?” Well, um, yes Miss Underwood, my inner child responded.  This is one dedicated woman.  The 2012-13 Educational Achievement Authority Principal of the Year recipient!

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