Since high school, Jack Tangel has cared about community-oriented work and making a difference in the world.
Tangel works as the SUN site manager and is also a part of the Student Intervention Team (SIT), which focuses on supporting students with attendance issues and behavioral problems. Tangel was a member of the SUN staff before he started working as SUN site manager in December of 2022.
“It’s not a role I ever imagined,” he said, “but now I feel like I’m here to try to make sure as many different diverse populations feel welcome, included, celebrated, and succeed in whatever way that looks like for them.”
Tangel enjoys his job and makes efforts to increase student attendance within the SUN programs. He wants students to know about everything that SUN has to offer.
“I think because I learned that it’s hard to get students to stay after school for the different SUN programs, I’ve tried to get more involved during the day so I can get to know students better,” he said. “Because then if you have that relationship with a student or a group of students you can be like, ‘Hey, I know you’re interested in this thing, you should go to this.’”
Tangel likes being able to help and support as many students as he can.
“Being able to do cool things like that and hopefully making an impact on students’ lives for the better is what I like,” he said.
He explained how he often gets to participate in unique experiences, such as going to Hawaii for a week with the Pacific Islander Club students. Tangel stepped into the position of being the advocate for the club for about six months because the club lost their advocate from Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO).
SUN has its own programs including tutoring and supper, which happen Monday through Thursday. Clubs like break dancing and K-Pop are also SUN-specific programs. In addition, SUN has contracted partners like Impact NorthWest, College Possible, Latino Network and IRCO youth advocates. Each of these programs have advocates that are there to support students and their needs.
To sign up for SUN there’s a link people can go to and fill out an online form. SUN is supposed to be a resource hub, it allows people to participate in multiple activities.
Dylan Davies is the SUN tutoring program coordinator and is also a student teacher. Davies loves how positive Tangel is.
“He has a very welcoming personality, it would be difficult to not like Jack just because he’s so friendly, so personal,” Davies said. “He’s so easy to talk to, and to share details about your life and just connect on that personal level.”
Davies even feels that Tangel is a type of person that he can lean on when he has problems in his life.
“He’ll always have an open ear,” Davies said.
Last year, Davies worked with Tangel a lot more to plan certain events. He explained how he is a lot more busy this year with his student teaching but still works on things when he has time.
Davies feels that SUN makes a positive impact on students’ lives.
“SUN is doing a lot and really helps create the positive vibe I see at McDaniel,” Davies said.
Senior Dat Dang, who is involved in the College Possible program and tutoring program, likes Tangel for multiple reasons.
“I like Jack because he’s hardworking, kind, funny, friendly and always helps people when they need help,” Dang said. “I appreciate all the encouragement and kind words that he gives me when I’m feeling down, and he always believes in me that I can do good in school.”
Last year, Dang used the tutoring program for help in his geometry class, which led to him getting involved personally in the tutoring program, specifically with history and financial algebra.
Dang also joined the College Possible program, which assisted him with his college applications and financial aid, and he also helps out with the supper program after school.
“The SUN program will forever impact me because I met many incredible people in the program,” Dang said.
Tangel hopes that every student thinks big and does not limit their opportunities. He lives by the mission statement of SUN, which is to support students and families in whatever ways that looks like to succeed in school and in life.
“I want students to be confident in themselves and keep an open mind and know what opportunities are out there for them and what resources there are at the school to help them get to where they want to be,” Tangel said.
