Angela Lynn Wilson was born on the 14th of May 1991, in Brewton, Alabama.
She didn’t enter this world without any hitches; Angela almost lost her life before it had even started. Her umbilical cord wrapped around her neck, cutting off her airway. So really, she’s a miracle.
Angela has always been surrounded by a lot of love. At the tender age of two, her paternal grandmother taught her many skills, such as how to read and cook. Sadly, her grandmother passed away when she was only four years old. Her aunts Lois, Wanda, Rachel and Deborah then took on the job of raising her; they have always been the people she could turn to, whether it be for emotional, physical or financial support.
At five years old, Angela began attending Faith Academy Private School. She was quickly advanced to first grade, as the school saw her potential early into the term. She transferred to W.S. Neal Elementary School the following year, only to find out that the school refused to uphold the credits. She was forced to study with children her own age, repeating the first grade. She never really had that much of a social circle at this age, as she was seen as the ‘teachers pet’ because she knew all the answers and wasn’t afraid of sticking her hand up and showing it! (Despite the lack of friends, Angela enjoyed school and maintained top marks for the remainder of her elementary and middle school years.)
In the third grade, Angela was enrolled into advanced classes called The Escambia County Enrichment Program. This new opportunity really pleased her, as she had become bored of the school work that was below her intelligence. As you can probably tell, she always had a thirst for learning and developing the skills she already possessed.
In the sixth grade, she heard about the Alabama Penman Contest; a competition where you could submit your stories, poems, and other forms of creative writing. Angela saw this is a chance to put her writing skills to the test. The piece she submitted into the short story division won first place in school, county, and won an honourable mention at state level. Two years later, she entered the competition again with her work, this time winning first place in the school, county, and second place at state. The affirmation that the work she was producing was actually good only furthered her love for writing.
Whilst nurturing her love for learning, Angela decided that it was time to study more than just words on a piece of paper; that’s when she first picked up a trumpet and joined the middle school band. She fell in love with it almost instantaneously. Altogether she has spent ten years of her life in band. She has performed with the middle school band, high school marching band, several concert and symphony bands, two trumpet ensembles, and Troy University’s Sound Of The South. Angela no longer plays in a band, but still continues to this very day to play trumpet, even if it’s just for fun.
Although Angela seemed to have a fairly easy time in school, never having many problems with the school work or things like that, her home life wasn’t nearly as ‘smooth.’
When Angela was twelve years old, her parents decided to call ‘time-out’ on their relationship and get a divorce. Shortly after the separation, her mother was admitted to a mental institution and diagnosed with Bipolar disorder and Paranoid Schizophrenia. After being diagnosed, her mother began going in and out of rehab battling an addiction to narcotics. Dealing with a parent with a mental disability is never an easy task, but it proves to be especially hard on a young teenager. Angela had to grow up rather quickly because of this, but she understood her duties and accepted them without any arguments. Unfortunately, sometimes when it rains it pours; Angela received the news shortly after her mother had been released from rehab that she had been diagnosed with cervical and throat cancer. It was a trying time, but every storm eventually ends. Her mother received the proper treatment she needed, and is now in remission to this day.
Angela’s father, Jason, remarried when Angela was thirteen to a remarkable woman named Kim. She made such a huge impact on her life; she wasn’t only her mother, in Angela’s eyes, she was her best friend too. She stood by Angela’s side and helped her deal with all of the stress that came with her mother’s mental condition. She was the only person who Angela felt understood her. She was the type of person who always knew exactly what to say to make you feel better.
Sadly, Kim had a series of heart attacks when Angela was fifteen. The doctors put Kim on blood thinners to try and help with the problem, and they seemed to help. only a few days after her return home, she had a stroke. They needed to operate and relieve pressure on her brain, but couldn’t due to her blood being so thin. She sunk into a coma, and a few days later was pronounced brain dead. She passed away on the 30th of September, 2006.
Kim’s passing hit Angela hard, and she sunk into a deep depression. Thankfully, music, writing, and Kim’s memory is brought her out of it. Something Kim used to say all the time is what helped her realize that she could make it. “Emotions are a mental thing; you chose how you feel. If you’re faced with something tough, don’t dwell on it. Deal with it and get over it. Why be sad when you could use your energy for something more useful, like smiling?” To this day, Angela lives by that saying. “Mind over matter…” she has been heard reciting.
Angela has a strength that she can’t see, but knowing her on a personal level for just a few months I can tell you that she’s one of the strongest human beings I know.
A year after Kim passed away, Angela’s father remarried again to a woman that Angela didn’t exactly get a long with. She moved out of the family home to live with her aunts Deborah and Rachel, where she then finished her remaining two years of high school.
She received a scholarship to Troy University, so she moved to Troy, Alabama to study with her two best friends Michael and Jeremy, and live with her friend, Hope. Angela began majoring in Music Education, only to find that it was not what she wanted to do with her life. She entered this state of just existing. She wasn’t being creative enough, and this lead to depression. A few months down the line, she found her passion for writing again as well as experimenting with different parts of cosmetology. After months of soul searching, it finally occured to her: why do something that didn’t bring her joy, when she could easily pursue the things that made her the happiest? She began majoring in cosmetology and writing on a daily basis.
Angela currently resides in Troy, Alabama. She’s busy with her major, blogging, vlogging, and working on a collaborative channel on YouTube.
If you were to ask Angela what she wants from life, I’m sure she’d tell you that she wants to be extraordinary.
And let me tell you, she’s definitely on her way there.
Written by: Chrisselle Mowatt
