Melanie Rodriguez was nominated by her colleague, Sylvia Ripley.
Ask Ms. Rodriguez for help and the first thing she'll say is, "Okay!" Regardless of the task given, she will address it with confidence, grace and determination. She has unquestionably become the go-to person for anything regarding student needs, whether it be academic or personal. Ms. Rodriguez is extremely supportive when it comes to the needs of students and always puts other's needs before herself.
"Students always find an environment of empathy during a counseling session," Ripley said. "They will find an individual who is nonjudgmental and accepting, thus, they are able to communicate and experience a sense of support and kindness. Melanie possesses problem solving skills and can find the root of the problem to help the student identify and make whatever changes necessary to address their issue."
The job of a school counselor can be incredibly stressful at times, but Melanie does it all with an upbeat attitude and a smile on her face. She focuses on the good and always looks for a positive outcome, regardless of difficult circumstances.
"She has tackled every challenge that has come her way and has helped everyone around her do the same," Ripley said. "She is a conscientious student advocate with a passion for helping children and assisting teachers in their efforts to provide a superior education for their classes."
Mrs. Rodriguez is an amazing person to work with. She is a very hard working, compassionate person who will never say no in helping you with any problem you may have. It is a pleasure working with her at Munoz Elementary. She is an awesome elementary counselor.
I have the pleasure to work with Ms. Rodriguez at the same campus. She always helps everyone including me without letting us wait. Ms. Rodriguez is an admired person that has proven to show intelligence, compassion and other great qualities throughout every school year. She is a Lifechanger and deserves the recognition for her hardwork.
It is a privilege to work with such an amazing person. Mrs Rodrigues is very intelligent and knowledgeable in her field but more important she is a caring person. She genuinely cares for the students. She is the upper grade counselor in my school however every time I have a question or I need advice on how to handle a situation with our little ones she is always available and willing to help.
Mrs. Rodriguez is our upper grade counselor at Mighty Muñoz Elementary and one thing I can say about her is that regardless of the amount of work she has on her hands, seeing that we are the largest elementary campus in our district, she truly represents a person who is willing to stop everything she is doing to help a student and/ or staff member in need. She is always willing to lend a hand when needed and offers support and clarification for whatever problem, situation, or question that might arise. She conducts herself in a very professional manner and is willing to go above and beyond her duties to make sure that any problem, student, teacher, staff, or administrative, has or ends with a solution. Her work ethic is remarkable and attention to details is something that she is known for. She is extremely knowledgeable in her field and is willing to share her knowledge with others. She truly is a remarkable person to work with and a pleasure to have at school.
Ms. Rodriguez is an amazing individual! There is nothing she can't or won't do. She is always one to go above and beyond for both students and staff. I admire the fact that she is always working on ways to improve systems that we take for granted. This woman never has any down time and always makes sure to respond as soon as possible when confronted by any situation.
Ms. Rodriguez serves as a counselor at Mighty Munoz Elementary. She is truly a kindhearted, compassionate person. Ms. Rodriguez is always willing to assist and goes out of her way to ensure our students and staff receive her very best. She accepts every challenge with a smile and a positive attitude. As for me personally, I truly am appreciative of her support and cooperation in the workplace as she has really made me a better employee. She is worthy of being LifeChanger of the Year.
Mrs. Rodriguez is top notch in our district and i am so proud to say i support her and that she deservers this award for her outstanding achievements and hard work and dedication not only to her school her district her staff but her children and her community very well deserved... I support Mrs Rodriguez...job well ? done.
I know of absolutely no one who is more deserving of this award than Mrs. Melanie. She is one of the most amazing human beings I have ever met and am so glad to be able to call her my friend and colleague. She is unbelievably smart and has an endless amount of compassion for all who need it. She worked her way up from paraprofessional, resource teacher, and now counselor. She put 110% effort at every level. In seeing her in all those positions, I have witnessed the amount of care and love she shows for all her students and the people around her. Again, she is a true Lifechanger and so deserving of the recognition.
I have had the good fortune of working with Mrs. Rodriguez at two different campuses. As both a teacher and now a counselor Mrs. Rodriguez has always been a strong asset. Her intelligence, organization and efficiency are not what makes her great. While she is outstanding in each respect it is her compassion and empathy that make her an exceptional educator. She makes decisions and determines her approach by taking the whole child into consideration and weighs each factor on what is truly in the best interest of each student and vigorously pursues what is right regardless of cost, obstacle, or opposition. Her attention to detail and ability to reach students at any academic or social level is what makes her a remarkable individual. I was the principal at a campus where she was a teacher and am now the principal at Munoz Elementary where she is a counselor and in each position she goes above her duties and readily assists all students and serves as a great mentor for other staff members. Mrs. Melanie Rodriguez is a life changer.
Congrats to one the most intelligent ??, hard working, caring, and amazing people I’ve had the pleasure of working with! Congrats Melanie!
Counselors are the first people in the school that teachers and students look for when we need additional support. Ms. Rodriguez that person for her campus!
Mrs Rodrigues is an outstanding individual that does everything she can to help out in any situation. When I worked along side her she proved to be very knwoledgable in her area of work and did not hestitate to reached out to different organizations that provided their expertise on working with children with disabilities. She also worked countless hours in assisting to moving the campus forward. From spearheading committees to advocating for every child, her efforts could not go unnoticed. Thank you Mrs Rodríguez for your service and your Lifechanging efforts!
Ms. Rodriguez is a wonderful person and amazing counselor! She has always demonstrated a passion for helping others. As a fellow counselor, I admire her knowledge and skills she puts forth regarding tasks and district mandates.
Mrs. Rodriguez is a great person to work with and aside from that she does a lot for our students. She goes goes out her way to put that smile in anyone that goes looking for her and does not matter if it’s a teacher or a student. I’am very fortunate to work with a hard working person with a big heart and I have learned a lot from her. Thank you for all that you do at our campus Mighty Muñoz Elementary.
Ms. Rodriguez is a calming and caring influence at our campus. This is no easy task considering that we are one of the biggest campuses in our district with over 800 students Her demeanor with students is the same as of with staff: always professional, personal and caring.
Mrs. Rodriguez is an admiring human being that always puts our students needs before anything else.She manages to assisst every student that is in need of guidance, advice, care, or simply some words of comfort. Without a doubt she changes lifes every day!
Mrs. Rodriguez is a wonderful person to be around and I am blessed to work with her. I know I have come to her with many issues in the Nurses office and she is always willing to hear us out and help out in any way she can for our students, parents, and staff. We are so blessed to have her as our counselor in our school.
Mrs. Rodriguez is a positive influence and great role model for our students, teachers and staff at Munoz Elementary. She is always there to support and encourage our students to be respectful and responsible individuals with goals in life. She definitely has a genuine passion for what she does for others and we really appreciate all she does for us.
Mrs. Rodriguez has many extraordinary qualities! She has excellent communication skills which allow her to effectively advocate for our students. Our students know that Mrs. Rodriguez will always listen and care about their needs. She is an AWESOME person to work with, always SUPER positive and reliable.
Melanie Rodriguez is an outstanding individual that is very helpful and friendly. She always keeps her teachers on track with things that need to be done. She is a person that supports, encourages, motivates, and advocates for her students. It is a pleasure to work with her.
Ms. Rodriguez is a great person to work with. She never turns anybody away. Always there for teachers and students. It is my pleasure to have met a wonderful person like her.
Ms. Melanie is truly a giving person who will go the extra mile to help someone out. Thank you for that you do!
Mrs. Rodriguez is a kind and compassionate person, she doesn't hesitate to put aside any work to help out and listen to our students and staff, we are very lucky to have her at our campus.
Melanie is very efficient in her job. She is compassionate and student respond to her. My grand daughter is austic and she trust her.
This person has the biggest heart!! She will always have a SMILE for every student that walks into her office. Helpful to every staff member that will ask for her help. She will definitely put her own wants aside for every one else. A true leader and a true inspiration. You are already a winner in our book!!! ??
I am so blessed and honored to work in the same campus as Ms. Rodriguez and proud of it. She is an amazing and beautiful person to be around. She is always willing to go above and beyond for our mighty muñoz students! She always welcomes students into her office with a positive attitude and a warm smile, wiling to help them in any way possible even if she needs to go way out of her way to do so. I am beyond blessed to have been able to work with her for the past two years and thank you for all that you do for Mighty Muñoz Elementary!!!!
Melanie is an outstanding individual. I consider her an expert in the field of special education. When I worked with her, she researched, created, and implemented programs, activities, games, and strategies that helped every child achieve their full potential. She also took many additional roles that enabled the school community to achieve high academic goals. She is an extremely intelligent person and has so much to offer. She collaborates well with others and goes beyond the call of duty to strengthen communication between school and parents. In my opinion, she was the strongest resource I had. She is worthy of being LifeChanger of the Year.
Thank you for all you do for the upper grades Mrs Rodriguez. You are ready always helping everyone you can.
Mrs. Melanie Rodriguez is always willing to help her fellow employees. She has helped us tremendously at Nurses office with her excellent computer skills. I admire her, she is always cool, calm, even in stressful situations. I am proud to work with this awesome colleague.
Melanie Rodriguez is an outstanding individual that supports, encourages, motivates, and advocates for her students and teachers. She has an exceptional work ethic that helps (myself especially) to stay on task. She always manages to go the extra mile to help everyone with anything we need. The students look up to her and learn from her weekly lessons, career day, and one to one counseling. She conquers her work with such grace that just makes me want to be like her. Thank you for all you do for Mighty Munoz Elementary. We all really appreciate it!!!
Ms. Rodriguez is a person who is always willing to give a helping hand. She is exceptional with both students and staff. It is a pleasure to work with Ms. Rodriguez!
Melanie is always there for all students and teachers. She is very helpful and friendly. A great advocate towards helping students through their problems or issues.
Ms. Rodriguez is an exceptional person, colleague and mentor. She is a true advocate for our students here at Munoz Elementary. She has always been extremely helpful and will put down what she is doing to make sure to help you problem solve any situation you might have. What she does for Munoz's children doesn't get unnoticed and she does it with such grace. Thank you, Mrs. Rodriguez!! You are one of a kind!! You make it so much easier to be a teacher at Munoz, especially with the unlimited amounts of work you have to do. You keep us on track and go above and beyond in all that you do! Thank you, again and good luck!!
Alma Ramirez - 3rd grade teacher
I have the fortune to work in the same campus as Ms. Rodriguez and proud of it.
She always have a positive attitude and a warm smile, wiling to help in any way possible even if she needs to go way out of her duties to do so.
Is hard working woman with a soft soul, big heart and awesome friend.
There is not person more ready to help than Ms Rodriguez. It is a PLEASURE to work at the same campus as her!!!!
Melanie Ridriguez and i have been friends since she was a teacher assistance. She is a hard worker, dedicated to her job. She has helped many children and touched so many lives of others. Melanie has been there for me since day one. She has guided me and has helped me put my life together again. She was there for me, kept checking up on me and guided me... Because of her, i am here and she has helped me with my personal and health issues...Love my friend..GOD Bless her in winning.. She deserves it....
