1. 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

2. 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

3. 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
NoelP.Rodriguez