Angelina attended Southern Illinois University Edwardsville under the Honors Quartet Scholarship, Johnetta Haley Scholarship, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian Award. After earning a bachelor’s degree in music education from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Ms. McLaughlin-Heil instructed a public school orchestra program in Waukegan, Illinois. Other orchestra teaching positions followed at the Ferguson-Florissant school district in Missouri and Edwardsville Illinois high and elementary schools. During her tenure at Edwardsville, she received an “Extra Effort” award from the district for her role in their production of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana. Angelina served as a full scholarship graduate assistant while completing her masters in orchestral conducting from Illinois State University in 2015. She frequently directed the Illinois State Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, and String Project’s “Sinfonia”. Ms. McLaughlin-Heil has appeared with her orchestras at the American String Teachers Association’s National Orchestra Competition and has adjudicated solo and ensemble festival and large group contests for the Illinois High School Association and St. Louis School Music Educators Association. She served as 2016-2017 guest conductor for the St. Louis All Suburban 7/8th grade orchestra. Ms. McLaughlin-Heil has played as principal cellist of the Waukegan Symphony Orchestra, the Florissant Valley Symphony Orchestra, and Alton Symphony Orchestra. She performs for weddings and events with the Landolfi String Quartet. She also performs on cello with the Belleville Philharmonic, University City Symphony Orchestra, and the St. Louis Philharmonic Orchestras. She was lead cello teacher and assistant conductor of the CICA Music Festival in Guangzhou, China in June 2017. Angelina is the founding director of the Belleville Philharmonic Youth Orchestra’s “Beginning Strings” program in Belleville, Illinois. She is the founding director of the Highland Music School in Highland, Illinois. In 2017 Angelina started the non-profit Edwardsville Community Symphony that plays free summer concerts with union paid musicians. Angelina is a proud member of the Musicians’ Association of St. Louis, part of the American Federation of Musicians.