Angela Jones, founder and director of Mango Academy, launched the school in 2021 to meet the diverse educational needs of the Santa Catalina community. With over 13 years of experience in both traditional and alternative education, her career began as a high school Spanish teacher in the International Baccalaureate program in Tennessee before she became an educational program director at an alternative study abroad in Panama’s Chagres Jungle. She later taught Spanish online and, in 2018, founded Panama Spanish School in Catalina, paving the way for Mango Academy. Holding a Master’s Degree in Community Level Social Work, a minor in Spanish, and certification in Permaculture Design, Angela channels her passion into creating unconventional, creative, independent, and playful learning experiences deeply connected to nature for learners of all ages and backgrounds. She also dedicates much of her energy to maintaining and expanding the school’s food forest and gardens, weaving sustainability into daily life at Mango. Known as the driving force behind the academy, she uses education and language to build connections, expand potential, and enrich communities—and when she’s not doing that, she’s probably riding the waves somewhere in the Pacific.