A lifetime of preparation leads to success

Looking at the educational and professional paths Mayra Rodriguez has followed, it would seem the new International Baccalaureate Programme coordinator at  Woodrow Wilson High School had been preparing all her life for the position.

A graduate of Dallas ISD, Rodriguez has experienced the magnet program as a student and has had experience in supporting struggling students and helping others navigate rigorous academic programs that prepare them for college and careers.

Rodriguez attended Mary McLeod Bethune Elementary School, was one of the first group of students to attend the all-girls Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School, and was a dance major at Booker T. Washington High School for the Visual and Performing Arts.

“Growing up, I had some of the best teachers the district has ever had,” Rodriguez said, sitting in her small office surrounded by positive messages about perseverance. “I had teachers who really cared about me and poured everything they had into me. I am also a legacy because one of my aunts was the first teacher at Bethune, and my mom and another aunt taught there, too. Education runs in my blood.”

Even though people tried to convince her to try another career, she knew education was in her soul and she needed to help create that spark in students that teachers found in her, she said.

“So many people poured so much of themselves into me so I could be where I am today, it would be a disgrace if I didn’t put that energy back into the world,” she said.

Rodriguez first taught at Rufus C. Burleson Elementary School which was then part of the ACE program, but in the spring of her first year, Dallas ISD and districts across the country shut down for the pandemic. When schools reopened, Rodriguez taught sixth-grade math at J.L. Long Middle School, where she helped newly arrived students from Latin America learn not only English but often the basics of reading, writing and math.  

After Long, Rodriguez moved to Woodrow as Advanced Placement coordinator. Last year, she was part of the team that managed the school’s P-TECH program and testing. She also worked with seniors enrolled in Texas College Bridge courses to make sure they were current in their classes, that they were taking college-rich courses, and that they were taking the necessary college exams. She also helped establish impactful partnerships that would help students find careers, helped them apply for scholarships and internships, and got them into summer programs.

“Collectively, I tried to find a path for every student,” she said.

She is tackling her position as IB coordinator with the same enthusiasm, hoping to expand the understanding of the program beyond it being rigorous coursework that demands a lot from students. And she would like to see more Woodrow students take advantage of the possibilities it offers.

“The IB program is about inclusion, culture,” she said. “When you go to a different country as part of the exchange program, you need to be at the same level academically as that country. It’s really important that this school year, we really understand that IB is about exposure as well as rigor. It’s about being a bridge with other cultures and countries, to develop a higher level of critical thinking and analyzing.”

The diploma coursework starts in the junior year, and having been AP coordinator, Rodriguez wants students in the program to take as many of those courses as they can in the ninth and 10th grades to better prepare them, she said.

“I have an energetic 2-year-old,” Rodriguez added. “I’m looking at his future and different schools and what pathways are available to him. I was one of those kids who wanted to study internationally, but I didn’t. I want Joaquin to have that option to pursue his education in Spain if he chooses, and to have every resource and support necessary to prepare him for success.” 

Rodriguez understands that for some students, it takes having someone in their corner to pursue unexpected paths, and she is glad she can be a role model for them in her position.

“My mom has a master’s degree in education and my father has a sixth-grade education, but they gave me everything I needed to be who I am,” she said. “I learned from them to treat everyone the same. And even though I have had multiple people at different times tell me that I don’t have the capacity to do a job, I have proven them wrong. I want students to see that. I want students to see me and know that if there is someone who can do it, so can they.”