LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Rosario Rojas received two nominations from her friend, Stephanie Romero, and a family member, Judith Hoyt. The following profile contains text from each nomination.

Ms. Rojas has been the type of educator who helps bring out the best in her students. She truly cares about their success. She has worked tirelessly for over 30 years to help students meet expectations they never thought were possible. Many of these students have stayed in contact with her because of the role she has played in their lives. Teachers are the ones with the opportunity to open the door for students, and she has taken every opportunity to continuously open those doors.  

Ms. Rojas has been an excellent educator in Socorro ISD from back when she started as a physical education coach. She spent time playing games and motivating her students to learn life skills in physical education and be happy, healthy humans. She moved on to high school, where she worked with bilingual and ESL students. Ms. Rojas helped her students improve their language skills in English and Spanish so they could continue on in to college and into the work force.

Ms. Rojas was a team player and was always included in what was going on around campus, whether it was sports, theater, or clubs. She moved on to work in the gifted and talented department in the district. She organized fun, current workshops for teachers. She motivated her colleagues to include and enrich all students while addressing GT needs. Ms. Rojas loved working with teachers, but she missed her students so much, she went back to her beloved Socorro High School to teach English.

Ms. Rojas believed in having students take responsibility for their learning. She led after school workshops and study sessions. She enhanced students' experiences with field trips when she was able, and she presented and listened to real-world experiences that students could both relate to and learn from. Ms. Rojas was always available for her students and her colleagues in the district.

"Many teachers, myself included, would go to Rosario for expert advice and assistance with struggling learners," Romero. "She had a wonderful way of reaching her classes as a whole and individually. Her students constantly come back to see her, keep in touch with her, and invite her to college graduations, marriage ceremonies, and baby showers. She has a very human approach to students and colleagues alike, and she's very interesting, warm, caring, and terrific to be around. Her students were lucky to have her, and I have been lucky to call her friend and colleague for over 15 years."

"It was, and continues to be, a great honor to have learned how to become a teacher and better person from Ms. Rojas," said Hoyt. "Inevitably, we as teachers will fear that we are neither good enough or worthy enough of the tremendous task to help our students unleash their potential and find their purpose. With so many things that have changed in such a short amount of time, however, I've realized we don't have to face our failures or successes alone. We have the privilege to fall and rise together. Ms. Rojas is the type of teacher you want on your side through these failures because of her unwillingness to waiver. In this sense, she not only makes a lasting impression on her students, but on her peers, advisors, and family, as well."