Chilton Area Catholic School Principal Samantha Meyers recently shared that Elizabeth Rodriguez, who teaches Spanish and Music and serves as a bilingual consultant at the school, was chosen as a recipient of the Herb Kohl Teacher Fellowship Award, one of 100 Wisconsin teachers chosen for the award this year.
The honor includes $6,000 awarded to each teacher, as well as a matching grant of $6,000 given to each recipient’s school to further support school initiatives.
Meyers stated, “In addition to her teaching duties, Elizabeth spends much of her time acting as our Hispanic Outreach Coordinator, marketing our school to new families and assisting current families with their needs, such as translating in meetings and all of our documents. But what she does here is just a small part of who she is. While doing all of this for us, she has raised four incredible young adults on her own, continuously pursues higher education to inform her practice, and finds time to volunteer for places like the Salvation Army and the library. It’s wonderful to see her recognized for all that she does for everyone else.”
Rodriguez was nominated for the award by CACS parent Erika Flores who noted she originally met Elizabeth through the Chilton Public Library Bilingual Exploratoriums and then followed her to CACS. She said, “Elizabeth was an easy choice. She’s not just a positive presence in our school, but also our community. She manages to easily make everyone feel included and welcome. Her energy is palpable in the joy the students bring to their concerts! Her ability to integrate Spanish and English speakers at community events is seamless.”
Originally from Lima, Peru, Rodriguez earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Education from the University San Martin de Porres in Lima in 1997, majoring in Geography and History, and her Master’s in Gerencia Educativa from the University Federico Villareal in Lima in 2000, and she had taught in Lima for several years before she decided to come to the United States. Initially arriving in Chicago in May 2001, Rodriguez made her way to Chilton the following January.
Despite her credentials, Rodriguez said she spent her first years here doing odd jobs that included picking strawberries, milking, housekeeping, cleaning the church, being a cashier, and working at the school cafeteria. She admitted that when she first came to the US, she came with the idea that she would have to work very hard, and maybe become a housekeeper and never get back to teaching, that it would be a far away dream for her, because often when people come here they have to do different kinds of jobs and not necessarily have their career.
When Rodriguez’s children started attending CACS, then Principal Liz Rollmann encouraged her to look into area universities where she could add to her teaching license, and she found a program at UW-Oshkosh that she completed in 2013 that added a major in Spanish. She also obtained her MA in Communication with an Emphasis in Education in 2021 from the online Grand Canyon University, Arizona.
For many years, Rodriguez gained a wealth of experience as a Spanish teacher at area schools, including Divine Savior Catholic School in Kiel, Holy Family Catholic School in Brillion, and St. Mary Catholic School in Hilbert, and as a substitute Spanish teacher at Chilton High School. She became full-time at CACS in 2022, when Meyers offered her the music teacher and bilingual consultant positions in addition to her Spanish classes.
Rodriguez is very happy to be a part of the teaching team at CACS, and she loves coming up with new ideas for the Christmas programs and Fine Arts Nights, as well as creating the props and costumes. In her classrooms, she said she wants her students to feel happy and motivated to learn, and through her Spanish classes she tries to share an appreciation for the diverse cultures in Central and South America. She said she also sometimes shares things about Peru so her students understand her and she understands them and they feel the connection, adding, “I love your culture because this is now my home, I want you to love and understand my roots, too.”
Reflecting on the work she has done to achieve her goals, Rodriguez hopes she can also be a role model and an example to her students, and she tells them, despite the struggles, “If I can do it, you can do it, and better than me. Never give up!”
In addition to her years of teaching at area schools, Rodriguez has also given her time to different organizations in town including the Salvation Army and the Chilton Public Library. Library Director Rebbecca Barry noted that Elizabeth has been a valued member of the CPL board for more than five years, adding that “her dedication to education and community service show as she is a passionate advocate for the vital role schools and libraries play in lifelong learning. Her commitment to inclusion, education, and community enrichment is evident in every aspect of her work. A trusted and respected voice in the community, she embodies the values celebrated by the Herb Kohl Award, and we are proud to celebrate this well-deserved honor with her.”
Rodriguez is also the proud mother of four, 18 year-old Andrea who is a senior at Roncalli High School, 19 year-old Junior who currently attends St. Norbert College, 22 year-old Zenaida who is a senior at Marian University, and 32 year-old Gisela, a UW-Oshkosh graduate who currently works as a Career Counselor in Washington, D.C.
