Angelena Rouse-McCarthy serves as ImBlaze Growth Manager at Big Picture Learning, where she builds partnerships to expand real-world learning opportunities for students. ImBlaze, Big Picture Learning’s internship management app, connects students, educators, and community partners to support meaningful learning experiences beyond the classroom.

Her connection to education advocacy began early. In middle school, she attended the People to People Future Leaders Summit at UCLA, where she was described as a compassionate leader who could accomplish anything she set her mind to. In high school, she served as the sole student representative on her district’s board of education and contributed to the district’s strategic planning committee and safety task force.

She brings a caring and solution-oriented approach to her work, focusing on building authentic connections and helping educators and partners find solutions that support students and communities. For Angelena, joining Big Picture Learning represents a rare alignment between her professional work and the values that have guided her since her earliest experiences in education. One of her favorite quotes is from former President Barack Obama: “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”

Outside of work, she enjoys singing, writing, traveling, indulging in spicy food, spending time in nature, and strolling the farmers market.