FITCHBURG — Teachers make a positive impact on a daily basis.
For Fitchburg Public Schools educators Aurea Rivera and Krenlly Rodriguez, their impact is being recognized on a grand stage during the 2022 State of Latino Education event at the State House on Oct. 5.
Rodriguez and Rivera will both travel to Boston to be honored as Latino leaders in education.
“Krenlly Rodriguez has been a long time valuable member of the Memorial Middle School team, and he works diligently to ensure students are in school and all their and their parents’ needs are met,” FPS Superintendent Robert Jokela said. “Aurea Rivera loves the students of Fitchburg High School and is a teacher who is both loved and respected by students, parents, and staff. Aurea fulfilled her dream of becoming a teacher after working as a school-based clerical team member for several years.
“I am happy for both Krenlly and Aurea to be recognized for this award for their dedication to the students of Fitchburg.”
Former Fitchburg High Principal Jeremy Roche, now the director of finance and operations, nominated Rivera for the award.
“Aurea is one of the finest educators I have had the benefit to know, observe and work with,” Roche said. “She is the ultimate example of what we hope for in our students in the sense that she herself started her journey as an ESL student at FHS. As an alumni, she provides our students with a powerful example of hard work, dedication, positivity, and what is possible. She is a uniter and constantly seeks ways to celebrate our kids, the foreign language department, Latino heritage, and ultimately FHS and the FPS.”
“I certainly feel ‘orgulloso’ or pride in that Aurea will be recognized by this prestigious recognition. As I have said to her, she has given so much to this school and school district, and it is only fitting that she is recognized for it.”
Rivera is currently a world language Spanish teacher at Fitchburg High. She is also the world language facilitator, multicultural advisor and class of 2025 advisor at FHS.
“I have been working at FHS pretty much all my life,” said Rivera, who was also presented with a citation at school last October from the Massachusetts House of Representatives and offered and signed by state Rep. Michael Kushmerek. “I started as a substitute teacher, worked as an administrative assistant, educational talent search counselor and MCAS coordinator at FHS with a collaborative partnership with Mount Wachusett Community College, and most recently four years as a Spanish teacher.”
She graduated from FHS in 1998 and says “ it was one of the best experiences ever.”
She moved to Fitchburg in 1996 as an ELA student who didn’t know a single word of English.
“The support and guidance I received as a student gave me the motivation to be the person I am today,” Rivera said. “Not only to encourage bilingual students, but to be an inspiration and a leader in the Hispanic community.”
Rivera is humbled and honored to receive this award and is proud of her heritage and her journey, both personally and professionally.
“It’s the true definition of encouraging students and others to continue working towards their dreams because I’m an example of dreams coming true,” Rivera said. “As a Hispanic, ESL former student, world language teacher, and multicultural advisor, I am very passionate about being Latino and my roots. I am proud of our culture and I encourage my students and peers to embrace who they are regardless of where they are coming from.
“Being highlighted as a Latino leader in education is very special, some of the best mentors and support systems I have had in my life, especially in the FPS, were Latinos. I feel like, in a way, I’m paying it forward to the Latino community.”
Memorial Middle School Principal Brittney Lavoie nominated Rodriguez for the award because she says that there “is no one more deserving.”
Lavoie added: “Krenlly sets the example of school-family partnerships. The greatest gift you can give to anyone is to make them feel welcomed, like they belong, and Mr. Rodriguez has been that person for countless families, spanning generations. He has changed the meaning of school for so many in this community, giving families a trusted coach and advocate. We attribute much of our success in school attendance to his relentless commitment to our students. We’re grateful to have him on our team, and I am personally grateful to have the opportunity to learn from him.”
Rodriguez, who has been working in Fitchburg Public Schools for 25 years, admits that he’s excited to be recognized for his positive contributions to the students and families in Fitchburg during his career.
“It is refreshing and rewarding that after many years someone notices all the hard work I put into my job,” said Rodriguez, a bilingual guidance counselor at Memorial Middle School.
Rodriguez came to the U.S. 32 years ago with the idea of pursuing a career in child psychology.
He started working at Goodrich Kindergarten Center in 1990 and was told to check out Fitchburg State College. He enrolled in the master’s in Mental Health program, which he completed in 1992.
“A classmate told me that I should get a degree in school counseling,” he recalled. “They said to me, ‘You are a Hispanic male and you will find great opportunities here in Fitchburg in a growing Hispanic population.’ Who knew her words were like a prophecy?”
Rodriguez completed his certification in a master’s in School Counseling in 1995, and then completed a certification in child protective services, which gave him the opportunity to work with children in LUK Crisis Program and state Department of Children and Families. He then went on to complete a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study degree from Fitchburg State University.
“These gave me the opportunities to learn more about the Fitchburg community,” Rodriguez said. “When the job opened at Memorial Middle School for the Bilingual Guidance Counselor, I was told by a friend to apply. I was offered the job and since then I have been working in the Fitchburg Public Schools system.”
Rodriguez loves his job and says that Memorial is “an excellent place to work” and they are “definitely a family.”
The uniqueness of Rodriguez’s role is something he certainly enjoys.
“It’s never the same thing twice,” he said. “There are a lot of challenges, successes and failures that serve as experience and learning.”
The goal, for Rodriguez, is to always help students and families in need.
“I see my position as an educator as an opportunity to guide and help others that come to this country to reach their goals and dreams,” he said. “I want the parents and students to see me as someone they can talk to or bring their concerns to, and someone that will listen to them and help to resolve their situation.”
Rodriguez calls working with families in Fitchburg a “partnership.”
“My ability to speak Spanish has given me an advantage in the school to work with parents and teachers to create a bridge so we can communicate about any need that the child might have,” Rodriguez said. “After many years, I have gained parents’ trust and when they come to the building they ask for me to talk about any concerns or problems or even tell me that another child is coming to the school. I have kids come and tell me that their mom or dad or aunt or uncle remember me from when they were in school. This connection brings a sense of comfort.”
Rodriguez says he would like to see Hispanic leadership grow in the city like he’s seen in other cities across the United States.
“Getting them elected or being involved in other agencies so we can offer better services to the community,” he said. “There are other teachers and Hispanic colleagues that have done a great job in the city, and I will continue working hard at my job until it is time to retire.”
