Angela Bradley

By Sam Arnold

Hard work is often personified with the large, burly tools of the common man. The hammer is a prime example of this, textile workers, and truck drivers. Sometimes, however, hard work is personified in a person who puts forth more effort than the person standing next to them, and goes on to achieve the goals many men and women lay in bed and dream about night after night. Angela Bradley is one such individual who best personifies hard work, charisma, and devotion to her family.
Bradley was born right outside of the Motor City up north, in Clarkston, Michigan, where she has spent the majority of her life, going to school and taking on various odd jobs in and around the city. Moving away from the North and sprawling downtown Detroit, Bradley has since relocated to the fabled Piney Woods of East Texas, in a small, out-of-the way town known as Carthage, with her husband of two years, and their step-child Lindsey, who is 13 years of age.
It was in Carthage, while going to school and working at a local Sonic Drive-In. She had a chance encounter with the President of Strong Services, a local oil and gas firm, Sam Strong who offered her an office job upon noticing the hard work she displayed while taking on the modest task of delivering food orders to patrons. She has since been with the company for two years now, grinding steadily away, taking care of the companies billing needs, filing papers, and a plethora of other office jobs.
Bradley said, “ I love my job, the environment, and people I am around. It keeps me on my toes, and one of the biggest fears this company has at the present is if I will be around in the future.” No doubt she has made quite the impact in the oil industry of East Texas.
Apart from working a steady 40-hour work week, she also attends school full time at Stephen F. Austin State University, double majoring in advertising, and ad Design, while maintaining a 3.0 grade point average. Bradley on her future career plan, “ I enjoy art, and the satisfaction of designing ads for firms of any kind.” Upon further inquiry into her majoring fields, Bradley admitted to jumping the gun, by developing an ad for a major Chevrolet car dealership in Detroit. They picked up and used her ad, which was seen by many in a city known the world over for it’s manufacturing of automobiles. She is 30 hours away from completing her goal.
Apart from her steady schoolwork and job hours, she is also happily married, which prompted her to move from the big city in the first place. She said, “I miss my friends, and family the most, but we all stay in regular contact. I must admit that I miss the shopping a great deal, however, you can not beat the traffic out here.”
The next time somebody mentions hard work, or the American Dream, your thoughts may wonder onto the hammers, the textile workers, and the men on the oil rigs. But you may also picture a slender, 5’6, bleached blonde woman who above all else, personifies hard work, and what it takes to get ahead in life.