Natalie Reigle is our Regional-Director for the Addison County Learning Center. She takes on a number of tasks each day, generally including a series of meetings and discussions with staff from around the state and with students, parents, and drop-by visitors in the Addison Center. Natalie likes to check in to make sure their VAL experience is as positive as possible. She also has the role of overseeing the creation of VAL’s new Online Learning Center.
“I find it very exciting,” Natalie says, “to create something from scratch.”
The Online Learning Center allows her to be creative and she enjoys finding new ways to present information. It is also similar to project management jobs she has had in the past, and so she feels confident in her abilities to succeed!
Natalie grew up in California and attended college in New York at the University of Rochester. In high school, she enjoyed math and physics, so she studied Mechanical Engineering for a while. Ultimately, she decided she did not want to be an engineer and switched her focus to geomechanics. After college, she remained in Rochester for seventeen years where she worked in geotechnical engineering, which she describes as the engineering of everything below ground. During this time, Natalie was also a licensed geologist and did loads of environmental work. Eventually, with her husband and children in mind, Natalie decided she wanted a career with less travel that allowed more time with her family.
Natalie and her husband decided to pack up and move to Vermont. Natalie tried something new – working as a paraeducator at a high school and tutoring math and science. From there, she decided to get her teaching license, which she did through peer review, in order to teach math. She then worked in a learning lab, the tutoring center at the high school. She taught summer school algebra before deciding she wanted a year-long position. Around ten years ago, she came upon a job opening at VAL. She started as a math and science teacher, as well as a GED educational advisor. Last year, she took on the role of Regional Director, as well as Online Learning Center Director.
When asked why she values her work at VAL, Natalie said her past roles in consulting jobs were never quite satisfying in the end. She felt as if she would complete a project and never see the results come to fruition. At VAL, she says, “When you finish something, like a student meets their goals, it’s a whole different feeling.” She values feeling proud of her students and their accomplishments. Natalie says she has always worked with colleagues who have had her back and served as strong collaborators, and VAL is no exception. In particular, she says Dave Roberts and Joe Przyperhart are helpful mentors. When she is not working, Natalie most enjoys gardening, reading, and walking her dog.
This article was written by Sarah Plaut, Development & Communications Intern.