Residential Life

I’ve had the pleasure of living in the Jody Douglass house when I moved to Buffalo with my husband and two sons in 2016. After living on campus for 8 years, we moved just a few blocks away, staying within Elmwood Village and continuing our support of the residential students. As Assistant Head of School, I will be your first contact as a newly enrolled residential student, and will help you to get acclimated with life at SEM. Whether it be finding the perfect roommate, or wondering what to pack, I am here to help ease your transition to a new school. Lastly, Orientation/ Welcome Week is one of my favorite times of the year! Seeing our new students connect with one another over ice breakers and community activities is a fun time for me and the residential staff, and we look forward to meeting everyone each and every year.

My name is Nicole Nobrega, and I am the Residential Faculty Fellow and Niscah house parent, and Individualized Spanish Proficiency instructor at SEM! My role is to always be available for our students’ needs and to support them academically, socially, and emotionally. Living on campus gives me the opportunity to get to know our students on a more personal level outside of school hours, and to build stronger and more trusting relationships with them. As a house parent, I love talking with everyone at dinner, going somewhere fun for a house activity, and baking together! Seeing the students come together to talk, laugh, and make memories at SEM makes me feel like I’m doing my job well. In my free time, I love to sing, play soccer, and experiment with film photography!

My name is Jiaan Shi, and most people know me as Angela. I serve as a Residential Faculty Fellow and Oishei House Parent, as well as providing academic support in the Learning Lab at SEM. As part of the residential team, I make it a priority to be approachable and present for students, which includes but is not limited to offering guidance, lending a listening ear, or simply being around when they need support. I also organize and facilitate weekend activities, and I enjoy joining students in both outdoor and indoor games and social events. As a house parent, I love chatting with students about their school day and playing sports with them in the gym. I share my home with a cat and a dog, and students are welcomed to come along on dog walks or petting my pets in the apartment. Outside of my role at SEM, I love singing, drawing, cooking, horseback riding, and training my dog.

As a member of the Residential Staff at SEM, I reside in the Wendt house on campus and provide support, mentorship, and guidance to our residential students. Living on campus allows me to get to know our students on a more personal level and serve as a resource and liaison between our students and faculty. Part of my responsibility is to help create a safe, positive, and inclusive environment within our dorms. I served as a RA for 2 years at Baldwin Wallace University, where I attended college. I also serve as the school’s Community Counselor and have a background in Art Therapy and mental health counseling. At SEM, my role is to provide guidance, encouragement, and supervision in order to help our students adjust and succeed while living away from home. It is an honor to play an important role in fostering a sense of belonging and community, ensuring each individual student feels supported, respected, and prepared to thrive both in school and daily life.