Picture your favorite Lower School teacher, either here at SMA or from your own childhood. The combination of kindness, fun, and a positive spirit creates the quintessential formula for nurturing and supporting young children. Enter Senior Natalie Angelier, who embodies each of these qualities. It is only fitting that her goal is to become an elementary school teacher. 

After gaining interest in service at an age too young to volunteer, Natalie Angelier began volunteering at Clothes to Kids (CTK) in Grade 6. Over the past six years, Natalie has grown to love the organization, its mission, and the people it serves. Clothes to Kids is an SMA favorite, with the local chapter co-founded by Joyce Meyer, whose daughters, Sarah and Stephanie, graduated from SMA in 2013. CTK works to provide students with the clothing they need to feel comfortable and confident in school. Their boutique setting focuses on dignity and respect for their families.

Natalie shared, “I want people to know that volunteering at Clothes to Kids is an amazing experience that everyone should take part in. The people we serve are kind, inspiring, and wonderful, with amazing lessons and stories to learn from.” Most can relate to the necessity of feeling comfortable in order to perform our best. Clothes to Kids recognizes that this need is even greater among young people, who are often pressured to keep up with trends and certain styles. Their work has grown as times have grown more difficult for families, especially refugees in our area. 

Volunteer students, like Natalie, spend time going through donated clothing and accessories at CTK, keeping what’s current while passing along the leftovers to different organizations. If our students won’t wear the item, the kids shopping won’t either. All youth, no matter their school or background, deserve to take pride in their appearance and to express their personality through their clothing. Clothing choice may not seem as important as food and shelter, but to school-aged kids, it can be the difference between getting bullied or being able to focus in class. 

Natalie grasped the importance of clothing and service in general from day one. Having been dedicated to Clothes to Kids for over six years, Natalie told me why service matters to her. She shared, “Service matters to me because I have the privilege to help the community and be part of something greater than myself. It has brought me a deeper sense of purpose and joy. It inspires me to be a kinder person, and I've learned that we are all human beings - we are not as different as we often think we are.”

We truly are more alike than different, and our students give us so much hope for the future. Especially during a time that feels overwhelmingly divisive, focusing on our commonalities can shift the narrative and help us all realize the ever-growing importance of community. 

Natalie Angelier is quite possibly one of the kindest humans on this planet. The compassion she’s brought to her service at Clothes to Kids and to our SMA community will only benefit her future students. “I still want to become a teacher, and volunteering at Clothes to Kids has helped me connect with so many kids. I've learned many lessons that I know will serve me well in my future years as a teacher, and I'm so excited to inspire the next generation of students and volunteers!’

Natalie has been a gift to our SMA community and to the Clothes to Kids community as well. Her future students are in for a treat, for they will have a teacher who will live out compassion, patience, and love every day. 

During this year’s Spring cleaning, or when your kids outgrow their current wardrobes, please consider donating clothing to Clothes to Kids. Volunteers like Natalie will ensure they get to the right kids to help brighten their days, one item at a time.