About Myself
Hi ladies! I’m Angie Thomas, the House Director. I’ve had the honor of living in your beautiful house for two years and the privilege of getting to know the best young women on Purdue’s campus during that time. I lived in my hometown in East Texas all of my life, even taught my entire 30 year career in the same school I attended. I was married to the same man for 26 years before the marriage ended and raised 2 boys in that same school district. My roots ran deep and I never expected to leave that town, much less move 1000 miles away.
Why I Want to be a House Mom
While visiting my oldest son at college in New Mexico, I met 2 fabulous women who were celebrating retirement as house directors. As we visited, the idea of that being my next step began to form. I was becoming disenchanted with the direction of education and truly felt that my educational values were being compromised. One of my colleagues on campus was an active member of her alumnae board. I approached her with my idea to see if she thought I would be a good fit for the role of an HD. She was so excited about my possibilities so I got busy looking into positions in Texas. Then, my youngest son decided to apply to Purdue and actually got accepted. I put my own dreams on hold to allow him to pursue his. I couldn’t afford his tuition and knew he would face astronomical debt as out-of-state tuition is about double what Indiana residents pay. So, I decided to move to West Lafayette to lower his tuition rate. It took a full year of meticulous record keeping to finally qualify for the in-state rate. That was a tough year because he lived on campus and I didn’t know even one person. As my faith is important to me, I knew my first step must be to find a church home. Through Divine guidance, I found the perfect church and met just the right people. One of those friends, Cathi Parish, was on the local housing board and during a conversation mentioned that KD needed a House Director. That conversation led to the best decision of my life! I have come to realize that our move was really about me and not my son.
What it’s Like
This experience is hard for people to fathom. I get to live with so many young women and build unbelievable relationships. My job is really just property management, making sure the building is maintained well and that the kitchen meets our needs. But, if that was all I did, I would go insane. I love interacting with anyone who will pay me a little attention. I give the occasional shoulder massage to work out the kinks and offer hugs to everyone who needs one. Helping people helps me feel relevant. Feel free to stop by my room or catch me when I’m out and about and let’s get to know one another!
Best Wishes,
Ang
Comments