Teaching, Theater, and Lifelong Friendships with Angela Ocheltree

Steph Lokelani reunites with Angela Ocheltree, the oldest friend she's had on the podcast to date, for a warm, funny catch-up that doubles as a time capsule. The two met as seventh graders at Lakota Junior High in Federal Way, Washington, in the early '90s through drama club, and they trace the throughline from those teenage years to now.

They swap stories about the theater kids they used to be (Godspell, Macbeth, and one unforgettable paper-mache head), an eerie coincidence involving Angela's adopted mother's birth family and the small Idaho town her parents happened to retire to, and the different roads that led them both into second acts later in life; Angela went back to college at 32 and lived in the dorms, while Steph built a filmmaking career after finishing her degree online through Full Sail University.

Angela, now a sixth grade teacher working toward becoming a school librarian, talks candidly about budget cuts gutting librarian jobs in her district, what she's seeing as phones reshape her classroom, and how drama and choir saved her as a shy, insecure teenager. Both women open up about divorce, starting over, and raising kids the second time around.

About Angela Ocheltree:

Angela Ocheltree is an educator and aspiring storyteller based in the Pacific Northwest. With a decade of experience as a middle school teacher and theater co-director, she recently completed her library endorsement to transition into her dream role as a school librarian. Beyond the classroom, Angela is a creative who dabbles in many things; lately it is watercolor and writing. She also loves going to the theater, spending time with her family and friends, and traveling. As a mom of three, she balances her professional life with family adventures, sharing her love for everything from the stage to exploring the PNW. Angela is passionate about education, reading, and bringing curiosity to everyday life.

Key Takeaways:

- Reconnecting with an old friend can feel like time never passed. Steph and Angela met at Lakota Junior High in the early '90s through drama club and can still finish each other's stories decades later.

- It's never too late to change paths. Angela went back to college at 32, living in the dorms her first year, after years as a pharmacy technician, and became a certified teacher in her mid-30s.

- School libraries are quietly disappearing. Angela's district cut librarian positions from every middle and high school, leaving books checked in and out by non-certified staff while she finishes her own library degree.

- Being in drama and choir can be life-saving for a shy kid. Angela calls theater the place she "got to be me," crediting teachers - including the choir director who recruited her - with shaping who she became.

- Both women treat divorce as a turning point, not a failure. Each describes a first marriage that ended for the right reasons and a second chapter that fits who they've grown into.

- Smartphones are reshaping childhood fast. Angela shares what she sees in her sixth grade classroom, from phone pouches to shrinking attention spans, and why she's in no rush to give her kids a phone.

- Titles like "mom" and "teacher" don't erase who you are underneath them. Angela's answer to the closing question: at her core, she's someone who chases joy, creativity, and new experiences.

Chapters:

0:00 – Cold open

0:11 – Welcome + meet Angela Ocheltree

0:42 – Sixth grade teacher, future school librarian

0:55 – How they met: Lakota Junior High, Federal Way

2:11 – What got her into drama club

3:02 – The coincidence of her parents landing in Emmett, Idaho

3:35 – Her adopted mom's birth family is from Emmett too

4:37 – "Felony Way": Federal Way's reputation today

5:39 – Wild Waves closing after 50 seasons

11:36 – Starting college at 32, living in the dorms

12:44 – Full Sail, HP, and Steph's own degree

14:46 – Co-directing school plays today

16:59 – Godspell: her favorite show, then and now

23:21 – Wanting to become a school librarian

23:38 – Budget cuts gutting school librarian jobs

30:20 – Teaching the five major world religions in 6th grade

38:49 – Josh: the friend who got her into choir

42:20 – Marriage, infidelity, and starting over

44:16 – Remarried and raising three kids

53:45 – How middle school has changed since the 90s

55:34 – Girls on the Mat: yoga, breathwork, facilitator training

57:34 – Smartphones and shrinking attention spans

59:07 – Phone pouches at school

1:01:49 – Disconnecting on a whitewater rafting trip

1:09:24 – Felony Way revisited and the empty mall

1:12:13 – First jobs: Izzy's Pizza and "pizza surprise"

1:20:09 – Closing question

1:26:20 – Full circle: daughters in theater, back on the stage

1:27:57 – How drama saved her life

1:32:37 – Outro