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National Principals Month Profile: Westgate's Angela Martin
October 28, 2022 -- Principal Angela Martin is proud to say that each day is like going to school with their grandmother for kids at Westgate Elementary School.
“I tell every parent that comes in the door that this is a family,” Martin said. “Every student in this building belongs to every one of us."
Martin was once one of those students. She graduated from Columbus City Schools and is proud to now serve the District where she learned.
“I’m a proud product of Columbus City Schools, and I wouldn’t change it. To end up at this point is surreal,” she said.
Educators have played a crucial role in Martin’s life. Her mother passed away when she was in high school, and her teachers were some of her strongest supporters during that difficult time.
“I had a rough time, and for a while, I didn’t want to go to school,” Martin explained. “The teachers had a big impact on me. My senior year, I had a couple of my teachers show up at my house on a Monday morning. They talked me into getting dressed and coming back to school with them. They looked after me.”
As an educator, Martin sees her role as an opportunity to help her students in the same way her teachers once helped her. She always wanted to be a teacher, but spent the first part of her career working for the federal government. After retirement, she initially started teaching before realizing leadership was her calling.
“This is not what I intended to do, but I am loving every moment of it,” she said. “When it comes to working with people, you can’t beat me.”
Martin is passionate about connecting with her students and wants to ensure all of them feel welcome and loved whenever they’re at school, just as she did.
“One of the most important things is being available for our students. We should be making school the best time of their day,” Martin said.
When looking back on her career, Martin feels she is where she’s meant to be and is proud of how far she has come.
“Both of my parents were products of CCS too. To see where I came from and where I am now is incredible,” Martin said. “My dad tells me all the time, ‘Your mother would have been really proud of you.’”