The 2025-2026 school year brings new staff to Arcadia High School (AHS). One member is Ms. Tola Livesey, our current College and Career Office Assistant. In her current position, she interacts with students in the College and Career Center, offering guidance on courses and life after high school.
Ms. Livesey received her education from the University of Illinois in Chicago. Before coming to AHS, she worked as the librarian at Highland Oaks Elementary School for two years and at the Rancho Cucamonga Public Library prior to that. She has two children currently enrolled at Highland Oaks, mentioning her desire to be closer to them as one of her reasons for working in AUSD.
Now, at AHS, her new career has been “engaging and challenging—in a good way!”
“I do everything, in a way,” said Ms. Livesey regarding the duties that she performs. “So far, [I’ve] been really busy with college visits, [getting] students exposed to different schools from all over the country.”
She also works closely with AHS counselors and administration, working to sort out students’ schedules, document 504’s and IEP’s, assign Teacher Aides, and organize the Senior Awards Show at the end of the school year. Ms. Livesey also works with Career Technical Education (CTE) teachers on the Career Fair, exposing students to various future occupations.
In her free time, she enjoys hiking and camping with her family. She also partakes in a variety of creative activities, including creative art, frame loom weaving, photography, and drawing.
“I’m an avid reader,” Ms. Livesey said, expressing her love for books and reading. She pointed out that this hobby likely contributed to her previous professions in libraries.
When asked about a piece of advice she’d give to AHS students, she encouraged everyone to “keep [their] options open for [the] future,” as well as learn to adapt during tough times.
“Some people know what they want to do and follow [that] pathway, but if you don’t have a set plan, the best advice [would be to] stay flexible and be adaptable…[to] make challenges easier to handle,” Ms. Livesey said, expressing the need for students to also develop soft skills in order to tackle obstacles. “There [are] just some things you’re not able to control, and that’s okay.”
As teachers and students transition into another academic year, AHS welcomes Ms. Livesey to campus and hopes that she will have a smooth and memorable time.
