Meet Angel.
Angel is the Republican Representative-Elect for the 67th House District. She is a common-sense leader who focuses on listening to the people she represents, building community relationships and supporting policy that will build a stronger Manhattan.
Angel’s story is one of perseverance and the overcoming of adversity. She was born in Sacramento, California to parents that immigrated from Vietnam to the United States. When she was three years old, Angel’s birth parents separated. Her biological mother retained full custody of Angel and her older sister, Jamie, for the next two years. On her own, Angel’s mother began to move around the country, staying with friends while battling debilitating illness. Her mother spoke little English and was challenged to provide the girls with the care they needed. At the age of five, Angel had not yet been potty-trained, did not know how to brush her teeth, or how to bathe on her own. Both girls suffered from severe malnourishment and lice infections that kept them out of school. Angel had not yet learned how to speak fluent English and fell behind in school rapidly. Family friends in Lincoln, NE recognized the hardship the girls were living through and at age six Angel was placed in foster care alongside her sister, in separate homes.
For the next five years, Angel was passed around to countless foster homes. In November 2011, she was finally able to be placed under permanent guardianship with the Buresh family who committed to being Angel and Jamie’s permanent foster home until they reached legal adulthood. While never legally adopted, Angel continues to call the Bureshes her family. With their love and support, she was able to grow personally and academically. At age 14, Angel represented Lincoln Public Schools and the Nebraska School Board Association in Washington D.C. as a student ambassador to lobby for the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). She credits this bill to making fundamental changes that would have greatly impacted her experience as a foster student. Angel graduated from Lincoln High School with honors and gained admission to Kansas State University.
At Kansas State University, Angel worked on her. B.S. in Human Development and Family Sciences with a focus in Personal Financial Planning and a minor in Wellness. As a K-State student, she dedicated herself to serving both the university community and Manhattan. She grew in her understanding of civic engagement by working with the Center of Engagement and Community Development under the supervision of Provost David Proctor and working as a Boys and Girls Club instructor. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Angel began working in retail banking full-time while remaining a full-time university student. During this time, she also began supporting the PRCA Rodeo Committee with the Kaw Valley Rodeo Association.
In Spring 2022, Angel transitioned into commercial banking and began serving the Little Apple Duck Dash Committee and engaging with the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce. She continues to stay engaged in the Chamber, serving as a pillar chair for HYPE and is an active Big with Big Brother Big Sisters of Manhattan. In Fall 2023, Angel began working full-time as a business development strategist with Flint Hills Pain Management.
She met her husband, Joshua, through mutual friends in Manhattan, KS. Joshua completed his degree at Wichita State University as an ROTC cadet. After graduation, Joshua moved to Manhattan where he currently serves the Kansas Army National Guard. Angel and Joshua were married in April 2024 and made their home in Manhattan with their lab, Artemis. They look forward to raising a family in Manhattan, KS.
“I’d love to connect with you over coffee, lunch, you name it. What’s important to you is important to me.”
-Angel