Every community has a center of gravity — the steady presence everything else orbits around. At UP RVA, that’s Operations Manger Marchelle Roane. Long before most people begin their day, she’s already adjusting routes, answering student messages, and solving the kinds of problems that would derail anyone else’s morning. Her work isn’t loud, and she would never call attention to it — but its impact is everywhere. Students get where they need to go, families feel supported, and our team can focus on the work ahead because she has already cleared the path.
The Work You Don’t See — But Every Student Feels
At UP RVA, we talk often about academic coaching, opportunity access, and belonging. But none of that matters if a student can’t get to school. If they miss practice. If they lose transportation after their family moves across the city. If a van won’t start.
When you actually trace the thread of “How did this good thing happen for a student?” the answer, more often than not, is simple:
Marchelle.
If it’s not academics, it’s her.
Getting students to school safely? Her.
Supporting families over the holidays? Her.
Decorating the office for a celebration? Her.
Knowing what’s happening with any one of 50 students or families? Her.
She holds the logistical life of UP RVA in the palm of her hand — with grace, precision, and a whole lot of heart.
The Most Complicated Jigsaw Puzzle in Richmond: Transportation
Every Sunday, while most people are winding down, Marchelle sits down with a task that takes over three hours: building the weekly transportation schedule.
It’s part detective work, part puzzle, part art.
To build a single week of routes, she checks every student’s extracurricular schedule — soccer, basketball, robotics, theater, debate, swim practice across the river. She updates who’s on loop one, loop two, or needs a late pickup from a part-time driver. Some students live in the East End — some now live in Varina, Chester, or Chesterfield. None of that changes our commitment.
She’s coordinating 28 teenagers.
28 different locations.
28 different lives in motion.
And teenagers… well, they shift.
Absent today? Transportation changes.
Switched activities? Transportation changes.
Overslept? Transportation changes.
Suddenly joined swim team and ended up at SwimRVA in Chesterfield at 6pm?
Transportation definitely changes.
And then there are the vehicles themselves.
UP RVA racks up thousands of miles each week. Our current fleet — UPRVA5, 7, 8, 9, and 10 — tells you everything you need to know about what happened to 1–4 and 6. They served us well… until they didn’t.
When a van won’t start, it’s Marchelle who takes the call.
It’s Marchelle who reroutes drivers.
It’s Marchelle who makes sure students still get where they need to go — with as little disruption as possible.
A few weeks ago, Mr. Trey called her from a driveway: the van was dead.
Within minutes, she’d reassigned pickups, alerted families, and coordinated with Ms. Bird to add extra students to her route.
Then she shifted into the next layer of problem-solving: maintenance scheduling, long-term fleet adjustments, and making sure tomorrow would run smoothly.
This is what “removing barriers” looks like up close.
Fifty Students. Fifty Families. Ten Staff. One Number They All Call.
But transportation is only part of her job — and often the smallest part.
When a college student decided, at the last minute, to study abroad and needed a passport immediately, she called Marchelle.
Marchelle scheduled the appointment.
Handled the paperwork.
Overnighted the checks.
When a student needed new cleats, he didn’t hesitate — he filled out the request form for Mrs. Marchelle. She made it happen.
When college students needed rides back to campus for Thanksgiving break, they checked in with Marchelle.
When a student shares about a $50 banquet ticket, Marchelle covered it upfront — and then worked with an independent school partner to secure scholarship support so UP RVA could stretch its resources further.
When we moved into our new building this summer?
Painting, cleaning, vendors, alarm systems, CPR training — Marchelle coordinated every piece.
When a student was marked tardy repeatedly, a parent reached out in concern.
Marchelle reviewed transportation logs, realized the student wasn’t late at all — they were skipping morning chapel.
She communicated with the academic team, the family, and the student to reset expectations with clarity and care.
Rock climbing sign-ups?
That’s her.
A family in crisis needing support?
That’s her.
A staff member with a logistical question they think someone else might know?
It’s almost always Marchelle who knows.
Thanksgiving: A Snapshot of What She Makes Possible
This year, thanks to generous partners, UP RVA was able to support more families than ever during Thanksgiving. But having resources is one thing. Bringing it to life takes work — and that work, again, fell largely to Marchelle.
She sent messages to middle school, high school, college, and alumni families.
She coordinated with community partners providing turkey boxes.
She worked with The Market at 25th so 16 families could pick up ingredients onsite.
She organized the distribution of 15 additional boxes from our office.
And she made sure 31 families received their grocery gift cards.
Here’s what came back to her phone on Thanksgiving morning:
- “Thank you for the basket.”
- “Thank you so much — I appreciate you.”
- “Thank you for all you do.”
- “I’m thankful for UP RVA always. God bless you all.”
- “Blessings to you and yours.”
These messages weren’t just for UP RVA. They were for her.
What Her Teammates Say
Those who work most closely with Marchelle describe her impact in ways that feel both consistent and deeply felt. To our leadership team, her work is not just helpful — it’s foundational. As our Executive Director, Greg McCandless shared:
“It isn’t hyperbole to say that we couldn’t fully live up to our mission without the work that Mrs. Marchelle does. She is essential to the success of our students and is an integral part of the UP RVA team. I am in awe of not only the work she accomplishes but also the positive attitude and innovative problem-solving she brings to the table each day. Mrs. Marchelle is a true gift.”
Paul Bateera was UP RVA’s first employee and now is the Chief Operations and Finance Manager. Paul partners with Marchelle daily to support students and families, sees the same steady dedication:
“Her motor,” Paul said. “She has seemingly endless energy for the work she does, and she’s fueled by the growth and success she sees in our students each day. When something needs to be done to support a student or a family in need, no obstacle is too large and no problem too complex to stop her.”
Together, their words paint a clear picture:
Marchelle isn’t just part of the UP RVA team — she is one of the reasons the work holds together.
What Students Say
Students talk about Marchelle with a mix of affection and deep trust — the kind that comes from knowing someone shows up for you long before you ask.
A junior at Collegiate put it simply:
“She’s like a fairy godmother — always there when you need her.”
A senior at Trinity shared,
“When it comes down to helping students and getting what they need, she is always on top of it. If something doesn’t go right, she’s one of the people we know we can go to for help.”
A freshman added a glimpse into the quiet ways she supports them:
“Mrs. Marchelle is a person who is always there for you, even when nobody is watching. You can tell she really cares about us as people, not just students, and that means a lot.”
And a senior at Collegiate reflected on the impact beyond logistics:
“Mrs. Marchelle is impactful in all areas of our lives. There have been countless times she has helped not only me but my family — in ways only someone who truly cares would.”
Why She Does It
For all the moving pieces she manages — the schedules, the families, the vans, the constant flow of needs — Marchelle’s reason for showing up has always been deeply personal.
“I show up every day because I love this job and I love our students. The relationships we build mean everything — I want them to feel supported and know I truly care about their well-being. I didn’t always have this kind of support growing up, so being able to give it to them now brings me so much joy. Communication is the key.”
Her words say what the rest of us already know: Marchelle isn’t just keeping things running.
She’s helping students feel seen, supported, and surrounded — every single day.
Because of You…
Moments like these — the quiet ones, the complicated ones, the lifesaving logistical ones — are only possible because supporters believe in our mission and trust us to walk beside students for eight years and beyond.
Your generosity fuels the work.
But people like Marchelle make it real.
Closing Thought
This is what belonging looks like behind the scenes:
One schedule. One ride. One phone call. One act of care at a time.
