CYDC2011-2012

Simon Elementary School 401 Mississippi Avenue, SE Washington, D.C. 20032 ”Our mission is to prepare all students to be responsible citizens and to equip them with the skills, knowledge and abilities necessary to lead meaningful and productive lives.”

Noel P. Rodriguez, Corps Member

CYDC2011-2012 TEAMSIMON

Individual Declaration

I’ve come into serving as a City Year corps member because I believe a great education is the single most important intangible we can give to a child, an adult, an individual. Education is the key to leveling the playing field in the game of life we all have been thrown into. The primary goal of my service year, of City Year, is to help a community in need but it of course also opens the opportunity for those of us in service to grow and expand our understanding of some of the issues hindering our very own society from reaching its full potential.

The City Year uniform embodies something bigger than oneself. The City Year uniform is a symbol of a response to a need. Wearing the City Year uniform would be an honor and a privilege, it would give me an opportunity to speak on behalf of communities we as a society have written off.

Noel P. Rodriguez, Corps Member

“The day you stop learning is the day you

begin decaying.” -Isaac Asimov

IMPACTSTORY Corps Member

My name is Noel Rodriguez and I hail from our nation’s third largest city, Chicago. I am currently 23 years old and graduated from Loyola University Chicago in 2010.

I quite honestly just stumbled upon City Year, as is the case with anything that means anything. Before City Year, I was working in the private sector. I suppose what drew me to City Year was its mission to narrow the achievement gap between kids of various backgrounds in our nation’s public school system. Coming from a Jesuit institution, I felt it is my social obligation to get involved and join a moment to better our society.

As a City Year corps member, I work in a 5th grade classroom at Simon Elementary School in the southeast area of Washington, D.C. I tutor small groups of 4-5 children four days a week. Along with my team, I help run after-school programming that empowers students to become leaders in their communities.

I’m not entirely sure if I am making a difference at the present time. I have been at Simon for about 3 months and I still seem a bit lost. My small math groups are only now beginning to take shape and so it is rather difficult for me to narrow down any of their specific achievements down to something I may have done or instilled in them.

I am not a fan of much of City Year whatsoever to be rather candid; however, I find working with my children incredibly rewarding and would never regret it. The children never cease to surprise me in everything that they do when it comes to their academics and interacting with them socially is quite the experience. I also love my team and the incredible wealth of experiences that they bring to the table has truly enabled me to grows in ways I never would have thought possible.

I’m not really sure what will happen come June. My immediate plans are still in the works and I have only recently become active on working towards something concrete. The plan is to eventually continue my academic career and work towards an MBA degree and a master’s in sociology.

Simon Elementary School CYDC2011-2012

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