Adviser of Note Monica Rodriguez

Monica Rodriguez – known to her students as M-rod – is the yearbook adviser at Gulliver Preparatory Upper School in Pinecrest, Florida. All of Monica's three staffs – the Reflections literary magazine, the Raider Voice news and and print magazine, and the Raider yearbook – received Crown and Pacemaker Finalist recognition in 2021. It's particularly exciting as this is the first time the Raider yearbook has earned Pacemaker recognition from NSPA. 

She took time to chat with Jim about her career as both a teacher and a yearbook sales rep, and what it means to see her students receive the recognition they worked so hard for. 

Transcript

00:00.18
walsworth_yearbooks
Hello everyone and welcome to yearbook chat with Jim. It's hard to believe it's the beginning of February and we're almost finished with our third book during the pandemic while it's been nearly impossible task in so many ways advisors and staffs around the country. Have risen to the challenge and are producing some of the most amazing books we've ever seen one advisor who's led her staffs to some of the most outstanding work they've ever done is Monica Rodriguez known to her students as emrod from gulliver preparatory upper school in Pinecrest Florida. Near Miami all of Monica's 3 staffs the reflections literary magazine the raider voice news ah and print magazine and the raider yearbook have received crown and finalist recognition in 2021. It's particularly exciting as this is the first time the raidar yearbook. Has earned pacemaker recognition from nspa Monica I just found out was born in l a but she moved to Florida at the age of 3 and like me she never took journalism in high school. Um, but. She has developed one of the top journalism programs in the country. She started out advising at the middle school level became a yearbook sales rep for a while before finding your current home at gulliver prep today. We'll learn about what are some of her secrets of success. And what she's learned along the way. Welcome Monica and congratulations on being walsworth yearbook's advisor of note for January and and February and for the recognition you and your staff have received this year

01:46.32
Monica Rodriguez
Thank you Jim happy to be here.

01:49.21
walsworth_yearbooks
Yeah, happy to have you? um I know how busy you are this time of year. Hey so let's just jump right in tell me a little bit about these awards that your staff has gotten and what what does winning awards mean to you and your staff.

02:03.92
Monica Rodriguez
Well, um, we've won I mean this last year in particular in 2021 we we earned the cspa chrome finalist as you mentioned for our raider voice news site which is an online news site and they have a. Companion magazine for our raider yearbook and for our reflections literary magazine and also as you mentioned the nspa pacemaker finalist. Um, and in the past we've we've won other crown awards I mean this is our ninth for the program these these. Recent ones Mark the ninth for our program and as far as winning awards I feel that the recognition is so important for students because it just validates all of their hard work. It's someone else other than me saying you know you did a great job right.

02:50.10
walsworth_yearbooks
I.

02:56.40
Monica Rodriguez
Ah, you've you've met this high standard that we set forth that is a very professional standard a very high standard and it's just it just again, it validates them they work so hard for you know, very little recognition sometimes and so. Have this award just speaks volumes and it makes them very proud. It's something we can showcase in school and it just highlights their work.

03:17.91
walsworth_yearbooks
Yeah, and then you get the legacy going and then it sort of feeds on itself and the next group doesn't want to be outdone by the previous group so it just keeps that quality rolling.

03:28.33
Monica Rodriguez
Exact oh that's certainly a part of it and then there's always built in this sense. It just kind of maybe built in this sense of camaraderie like we all want to get the crown or is this goingnna be the year that we get the crown are we gonna be the ones that are gonna travel to the convention and pick up our award. You know. And that's the case this year with the with the convention that they all want to go and pick up their pacemaker. So so definitely builds that kind of sense of legacy and and excitement and camaraderie. So I think it's wonderful for them to have this outside adjudication to have these services out there for them.

04:02.72
walsworth_yearbooks
Um, yeah, absolutely and what a great thing that you're finally being recognized by Nspa I Know that's meant a lot to you because it was sort of like what would it take and how do we get there and it's nice when you finally arrive.

04:19.22
Monica Rodriguez
Yes, oh no, it's it's that was a tough one for us. It was kind of like a gold standard. We really want to be recognized as a pace Banker school and we finally got it So there's enthusiasm all around over here.

04:32.79
walsworth_yearbooks
Yeah, and and that makes all the difference in the world. Especially now at this time of year when you're having to push through those final deadlines and get all the stuff done that you need to get done.

04:45.45
Monica Rodriguez
Absolutely.

04:48.38
walsworth_yearbooks
Well tell me a little bit about your book and about just the demographics of your school a little bit about that. How many how many pages will this year's book. Be.

04:56.90
Monica Rodriguez
So This year's book will be 380 pages but just finalized your page count um demographics We have a very international student Body. We have students from all over the world really and Um. We have I mean very but various ethnic and Socio Socio Economic and ethnic groups. So it's It's kind of interesting.. There's a lot of stories to tell and that that's Wonderful. You know and um.

05:26.70
walsworth_yearbooks
Yeah, yeah.

05:32.60
Monica Rodriguez
And it could be a little bit of a challenge because we also have to educate a lot of our of our parents on what is a senior dedication ad and what and what is the yearbook it's something you get at the end of the year that in in some countries. They don't really have that tradition or if they have it. It's not really a big deal and then once you know so this of that. In terms of selling and marketing we have to do a little bit of that. Um, yeah.

05:55.00
walsworth_yearbooks
And you're a um, an Indesign school and have been. Yeah I think that's an amazing talent and skill set that kids develop.

05:59.54
Monica Rodriguez
Yes, and design we do all of our pages. Everything from scratch.

06:13.55
walsworth_yearbooks
When they get to use the professional software like that. So.

06:14.97
Monica Rodriguez
Yeah, we use um indesign photoshop and some illustrator and they design everything the cut from the cover to the edge needs the whole concept. Everything is done by them.

06:29.10
walsworth_yearbooks
Yeah, um, okay so let's go back and hear a little bit more about your story. Um, where did you grow up where'd you go to high school.

06:42.35
Monica Rodriguez
So as you mentioned I yeah moved down here and I was three so I've been here my whole life Miami and I went to South Miami senior high graduated in 89 and proud cobra and.

06:57.70
walsworth_yearbooks
Yeah.

06:59.81
Monica Rodriguez
And then I went to fiu so local I've stayed local so I went to Florida International University for my bachelor's and my master's in education.

07:06.20
walsworth_yearbooks
So tell me a little bit about Monica in high school. What was high school Monica like.

07:12.89
Monica Rodriguez
Like um, well I was you know what? like I wasn't in in um and journalism I wanted to but I couldn't it was just an after school of being having to get home at by a certain time so I wasn't able to do that. Um, but I was involved I was involved in clubs I participated in all the activities at my high school. We had a really really strong class and many of us are still friends today we have reunions I mean we catch up and we it's like time hasn't even. Past when I run into anyone from my high school days. So that's really nice and um and Monica in high school is just a good friend and fun and lively. They go lucky you know how to care in the world.

07:52.24
walsworth_yearbooks
Ah, there you go. So so then so then you go off to college and you decided to be an English major is that the route you went.

08:05.64
Monica Rodriguez
Yes I had I became an English major I was gonna pursue I was working I was gonna pursue loss I was gonna go to law school and um I was working with I an law firm I was a legal assistant I was working full time going to school during my master's.

08:14.31
walsworth_yearbooks
Are.

08:25.17
Monica Rodriguez
And then I decided you know what I'm gonna once once I graduated I said you know I'm gonna I'm gonna go ahead and pursue a master's in education and maybe teach a little bit while I go to law school just kind of the plan and then um, but you know what the more I saw what the life of ah of a lawyer you know would be like with.

08:34.30
walsworth_yearbooks
That.

08:44.59
Monica Rodriguez
Young children which I was hoping you know to have in the future. It just made me think a little bit I was tutoring a couple of my fellow like the bosses. The partners at the firm I was tutoring their kids in english and I would hear these stories about like you know, just they didn't have they had limited time with their parents and I was just really enjoying working with them 1 on 1 and I loved literature I knew that if I was Goingnna teach I would love to teach literature so started to do that as a substitute and then just fell in love with it. Especially you know once I got my first job and had my own classroom I just fell in love with it and that was it I didn't go to law school. You know. It just turned out to be and then I found journalism because I mean that was like the second year in they asked me to do the yearbook and then that's it I just kept doing yearbook.

09:32.27
walsworth_yearbooks
Yeah, there's there are a lot of us out there that we had no intentions of being a journalism teacher I know I'm one of those people I loved my I loved my literature too and then I sort of fell into it like you did and fell in love with the process I mean so.

09:39.21
Monica Rodriguez
Um, evening.

09:45.40
Monica Rodriguez
A.

09:51.66
walsworth_yearbooks
You had the same experience. So so you you sounded like you were excited about it when you first your Principal said you've got to do this you You didn't choose it. They sort of threw you in there but you made the best of it.

10:04.50
Monica Rodriguez
I Made the best of it I was a little intimidated but I was excited because I wanted something to me. It just seemed creative. It just seems something oh wait a second I'm in charge of this thing and everybody's going to get to see it and it's intimidating and daunting and I don't know how to do it. But once I. I Knew that I could kind of take over and make up our own thing. It just served as as major creative outlet outlet for the kids and so I was not I was excited to do I and to do something different and then I didn't think I would do it again like I thought after a year. You're one. It was like I'm not doing this again. But then nobody else would do it and I did again and it was better and better and better and more fun I it became more organized and I learned all sorts of tips and tricks to make everything a little smoother and that was it you know and then I really loved it.

10:55.10
walsworth_yearbooks
And so and and so you had a lot of support in those first couple of years who are some of the people that really got behind you and helped you out.

11:03.43
Monica Rodriguez
So I was working with walsworth at the time and my rep was Tom Bernard and he he just really made me feel like it's okay, you're gonna get through this I'm gonna help you and he did back then it was page maker and. We use pagemakerr for some of it. The rest of it was all pastd up so we just had to put the little stickers on the back of the photos and tell it where to go and use a grease pencil and crop and just pray that things would be crop the way you wanted to at the plant and um. And Tom was really instrumental. He was there. He taught me how to use the software and gave me some pointers on on design even and everything photography everything and managing the staff and it was great. He had a great rapport with me and the kids so I worked with him for a few years

11:53.99
walsworth_yearbooks
Um, and you and you were on max where you did you use Macintosh computers or did you use windows or.

11:58.38
Monica Rodriguez
Like 2 3 I was on where no no, we had windows we were on Pcs and I had I This is in public school the middle school that I taught and I had one computer which was my teacher computer and. And class computer like it was a one computer I don't think we even we weren't even using emails that regularly. It wasn't that. That's just how it was and this wasn't when I think back it wasn't that long ago is 98 We really didn't have emails at the school yet.

12:21.93
walsworth_yearbooks
Ah.

12:34.84
Monica Rodriguez
Established We all kind of had our own emails and everything was done just kind of Snail mail which is pretty remarkable like that long ago.

12:41.71
walsworth_yearbooks
It's hard to believe it. It's hard. Yeah, it's hard to believe that it wasn't long that long ago that we didn't use the computer for attendance we didn't use email very much and you know how much how incredibly things have changed So we're.

12:51.67
Monica Rodriguez
Right.

12:59.33
walsworth_yearbooks
Were you in high school and college a creative kind of a person because I I know you now and you really are a designer and and love that whole process of creation. So where did all that come from.

13:11.88
Monica Rodriguez
No I've I've always been a creative person I actually did when I was back when I was in college as an english major and looking for work I actually applied at local Tv stations like for for news broadcasts I also applied to magazines. It was just tough because they were specifically at the time they were looking for people with a portfolio and a full journalism degree or kind of in a communications degree and I didn't have that I was just more on the english side but I've always been a writer I've always written for my own just kind of just my own. Meditative kind of relaxation I've written poetry and I just I love that. That's just my kind of like my own personal hobby I play piano I don't know if that's like just kind of like my right brain side. But ah but I've always enjoyed.

14:03.42
walsworth_yearbooks
Um, yeah.

14:08.46
Monica Rodriguez
Anything having to do with with that with like the written word and with design just admiring it and magazines and other things you know that I've that I enjoy reading? Um so that Creative Creativity has always been there and then this has been the outlet for me which is why I think I find it so exciting because it's you know. Um, working along with them when we're creating this new thing you know so.

14:30.18
walsworth_yearbooks
Yeah I mean I think that was the the case for me too is I found something stimulating about helping them get to new places and helping them find their own creativity. Um, and I always found there are kids in that room. Who have talents. They don't know about and it's really exciting as a teacher to help them discover how creatively talented they are.

14:48.81
Monica Rodriguez
Um, and.

14:56.38
Monica Rodriguez
Exactly That's how I feel especially we just finished our photography unit and I find that with the photography. It's one of those where I've always loved taking you know photos and I've never really learned how to use it. You know, develop film and you know in a dark room and like take all these you know. Very specific types of photos. But but I do know composition and when I started teaching them how to just compose shots. Well then they just kind of run with it and you'll find that one kid who realizes all of a sudden that they have this talent for photography. They never knew they had and it it can lead. Either job opportunities or you know you just never know where it's going to take you in the future. But yeah, seeing them that discover that within themselves is really really exciting and that's true for all the different things that we teach as part of creating this book.

15:46.76
walsworth_yearbooks
Yeah, and it and that that those aha moments happen every single year and it really makes our job extra special I think.

15:57.45
Monica Rodriguez
Yeah I agree.

16:00.80
walsworth_yearbooks
So so let's go back to those first years um what would be some advice you might give to brand new advisors. Um, as they're just getting started. You know it's my goal that everybody will love it as much as we do. And we'll stay doing it for a number of years I think we figured out you've done 20 yearbooks now. Um, it's amazing and so what.

16:22.96
Monica Rodriguez
I know I was supposed to be a 3 year thing as 2 3 years think right here I am.

16:31.57
walsworth_yearbooks
And so what advice would you give new advisors right now that would maybe keep them so in the in the game for as long as possible.

16:41.17
Monica Rodriguez
You know it also depends on your administration I do have to say the support that we get from our administration the support we get from our fellow faculty just to kind of make life a little easier as we're trying to cover stories so that is definitely a factor because every school is different and every teacher situation is different. But just on a personal note I think it's important to from the beginning just be very organized, kind of plan out. Ah talk to the kids make sure that they feel this sense of ownership with this product that it's their product establish a sense of teamwork inside the classroom and and. Set up a hierarchy so that we have some editors in charge and that that is a real important role that we're going to hold them to and I like to establish this feeling of we're all in this together and you do have your editors and understand that if your work isn't done someone else is going to have to do it So you're just kind of piling it onto to someone else. And if you establish that sense of responsibility within them and as a teacher you follow through you know with grades or assessments. However, do you have to do it. But I think that right there sets it up set the kids kind of run it themselves and that's really important and then just. Behind the scenes be very very meticulous and organized with how to set up your deadlines you know, ask for so for help and support from your rep whenever necessary. You're not alone. But I think those are the things that help me to establish a very good sense within the kids that this is it was middle school but it was their Book. And I had editors in Chief and I had section editors and I was just kind of one of them kind of guiding but I'm in the trenches along with you but I'm not doing the book for you and I think that's a very important message for them to understand and I always shared the budget with my kids because when they saw the amount.

18:22.38
walsworth_yearbooks
Yeah, yeah.

18:32.87
Monica Rodriguez
Of like what this was really gonna cost and what this what? what this project was worth I think it it lent like and um, like it gave an importance to this this job that you're you know, not everybody gets to do it and you get to do it and you get to handle something that's worth this I mean in middle school. We collected all the money. So and we sold all the books so it was a lot you know and for them that was that was a big responsibility that they were charged with so I think that those things are really important for a first time advisor and to stick with it. It's it's so much fun at the end when you see your final product. It's such a proud moment for everyone. And then you know next year you get to do it all over again and it's a whole new crew and there's a different feeling and you get to be creative in a different way. So.

19:19.56
walsworth_yearbooks
Yeah, and I think I would say that's really true of you. 1 thing you you mentioned there was you are you are in the trenches with them. You're not doing the book but they know that emrod is right there with them every step of the way pushing and and. And loving and caring and I think that really makes all the difference. We. We can't be hands off in our advising. We really have to be in there with them and and that's the joy of it is that creates a relationship. That I don't think exists anywhere else it to the same degree on a high school campus I mean we are teammates working together to make this thing happen and then there's nothing and then there's nothing like opening those books like you mentioned earlier.

20:03.92
Monica Rodriguez
Exactly exactly and and of course yeah, go ahead.

20:14.58
walsworth_yearbooks
When it comes and they see him for the first time.

20:15.55
Monica Rodriguez
True and of course you know as Advisors we're We're probably yeah, we're gonna have the last say and we're gonna do the final edit to make sure things aren't sliding By. We're checking everything but um, but all major decisions I mean we make together the editors. Editors decide. They say we want to do this and then if I think it's doable I'm like okay and if I want to steer them a different way I'll say well think about it this way or that way you know, depending on some things that they want to do that. Maybe I know wouldn't wouldn't wouldn't fly with the you know then I um.

20:38.20
walsworth_yearbooks
Um.

20:45.35
walsworth_yearbooks
Um, yeah.

20:49.55
Monica Rodriguez
I Kind of gently guide them and steer them or if I think they can be pushed a little harder then I nudge them and I say it's not I don't think you're there yet I think we need to continue thinking. Let's think and I mean we've come here on many weekends where the editors will. We're working on whether there be theme copy or we're working on the senior section we're trying to.

21:00.40
walsworth_yearbooks
Are.

21:08.53
Monica Rodriguez
Out something different and they'll call me and say can we meet Sunday I'll say all right? Let's go and we meet it's the 3 of us just kind of hammering it out to then share it with the staff but I really do love the process as you mentioned because everybody has some buyin It's never just the editors decide and hand down. They might come up with an idea. But then we kind of share it with the staff and then everyone will have ah another idea that's even better and then we build upon and then we create this thing you know and then that's the standard for the year so so that it that process really is great.

21:41.66
walsworth_yearbooks
Well maybe you can talk a little bit. It just reminded me again of the process that you and the staff went through this year with your theme. Um your theme did not come together right? from the very first you kind of went through a process and it. Grew and changed and morphed um tell us a little bit about how that process went and how you you got to you started with something you kind of loved. But then you finally got to something that you really liked.

22:17.16
Monica Rodriguez
You're talking about this here right? So so we yeah, you know it's always a process coming up with the theme and we always want to get that right? because that truly will capture not only really fit the year

22:17.91
walsworth_yearbooks
Yes.

22:30.57
Monica Rodriguez
Has to be specific to our moment in time here at our school. Um, and you know what when you get it right? This rest of the student body gets it. It's like then when they when they actually read this theme copy. Um, and people say oh nobody reads a theme copy. But that's not true when it's good theme copy.

22:45.56
walsworth_yearbooks
Ah.

22:48.65
Monica Rodriguez
Right? when it makes sense and you're really capturing the year then they read it and then they feel it and and we see them. We see them opening their books and just lingering pages and that's what we want. Our theme is that we want people to linger on the page. We don't want them to just flip it and so. That's why we've spent so much time developing the theme and if we can place the theme in any moment in time for any school then we haven't done our job so we just started to think about our campus, our personal situation and yes we tossed around a couple themes are okay and then. We kept hearing this phrase. Well we started to think about how we came back and it wasn't perfect, but it was near perfect for some of these kids because we're back in person 100% and a lot of the students felt a little bit apprehensive and then a lot of the students were just happy to be back and yes we had some.

23:33.78
walsworth_yearbooks
Um.

23:45.50
Monica Rodriguez
Mask policies in place and some other mandates you know for due to covid nineteen. But at the end of the day we felt like you know what? it's all good and we kept hearing that it's all good and the more we thought about it. We're like you know, no matter when times are tough. There's always that silver lining. There's always that good to be found so you either have to go and seek it yourself or you have to either do it and be the example and then and and and be the and so find do or be the example. So that's kind of been our driving force is that we're looking for the stories where someone found. Some that that positive aspects out of a negative situation or they went ahead and did something positive and embodied that spirit of just being something that other you know someone that other people can look up to and that's been our driving force for all of our profiles. Um, we were looking at all of our photos at the beginning of the year this is part of the process and we saw you know what? everybody's happy. Just big smiles. We had so much like everyone's mask you know where faces were covered with mask for the past you know year and a half.

24:44.54
walsworth_yearbooks
Yeah, yeah.

24:54.40
Monica Rodriguez
And here we are all the photos we're taking it's just smiles and happy and hugging so we're like you know what? it is all good. No matter what? it's all good. It's very positive, very happy theme and um I Just it's It's just really the kids have just been right behind it from the beginning. So We love it and we always hear ourselves saying it don't Worry. It's all Good. We Met. We missed our deadline. It's all good. Yeah, so.

25:16.11
walsworth_yearbooks
ah ah yeah oh I love that I get I get the chills when I hear a theme like that that is so focused on your student body and so focused on as you said this moment in time. Um, and I think what fun it is to really try to find those words that really capture it and it sounds like you guys really have and it's something that the kids will will remember forever because you captured it and that's 1 thing about the the pandemic if there's any good thing. The themes have been great because they really do touch on the the moment we're going through right now.

26:01.00
Monica Rodriguez
Yeah, yeah, I've seen that I've seen that in other books and it's like Wow that was really good too. Wow you know I just keep pointing out to all these other schools that I've seen. Yep.

26:09.88
walsworth_yearbooks
Well well before we launch about talking about the the last couple of books tell me a little bit about your rep experience. Um, sometimes I know we just have to try something new and tell me a little bit about what that was like and how you enjoyed it and how many years you did it.

26:26.21
Monica Rodriguez
Oh you mean when I was a rep at Wallsworth. Oh wow. Yes that so that was around 2005 I had to I just ah had you know I had the opportunity to go and work for walsworth.

26:28.62
walsworth_yearbooks
Yeah, when you were a sales rep. Yes, when was that when was that when were those years.

26:44.79
Monica Rodriguez
And um, and it was just something I just kind of fell in my lap and I was a little nervous same thing just like you know change is always a little scary and so I went ahead and took the took you know took that opportunity and it was great. I started off with 14 schools down here and just mostly Miami -dade county um, some in broward county so a little north of where I live and then I so in a three and a half year span I had I went from 14 schools to 52 all the way from a little bit north of you know? So from broward county all the way down to key west and um.

27:19.21
walsworth_yearbooks
Oh.

27:23.50
Monica Rodriguez
It was great I taught you know I would hold workshops and just I mean it was great. I enjoyed my time as a rep and I have this position because of that because of the students I worked with at this school and there was a turnover. A change and they asked the administration asked me if I would come back into the classroom but um, just this this is funny I Just I was out this weekend and I was at a food truck of all places and um the person that was working behind the counter said are you a teacher and I said what? yeah you know what school and I started. We start Talking. Going down the list of schools I've worked at she's like no that sounded did you ever stop at my school and the school's shenandoah middle and I said well she mentioned the years I said yes I used to work with them. We used to do the yearbook and that's how she knew me from that from me being her up and working with her. So I really worked with so many kids like so many different staffs and great advisors and I was involved with them and developing their themes and you know even during the delivery of their book sometimes and all that and it was It was really fun and once I went back. Into the classroom I Just of course had now this different perspective and I would tell my students I would say you guys You don't understand if you're late, there's there's someone at the plant whose job is to receive these pages and catalog them. Um and they're just sitting there waiting on you? Yeah like.

28:46.13
walsworth_yearbooks
Um. Are.

28:57.25
Monica Rodriguez
So it was um yeah, it gave me this whole different perspective and and it was a great experience.

29:02.48
walsworth_yearbooks
Yeah I think that's important that for all of us advisors that you really recognize all the work that goes on behind the scenes and like you say they're they're waiting to get our pages done but they can't do it unless we get them to them on time.

29:19.74
Monica Rodriguez
Ah, it's true.

29:21.26
walsworth_yearbooks
Yeah, and so you came back. You came back to gulliver and you've you've really put out so many great books I mean I think I first probably heard about you and gulliver in the early 2010 ish that kind of area era.

29:35.72
Monica Rodriguez
Um, yeah.

29:39.10
walsworth_yearbooks
And then finally got to meet you so well, let's let's go into the whole pandemic role here. What was it like when the pandemic arrived in 2020 were you close to done. Did you have a lot to do when did your schools close. How did how did that first year ago

29:55.76
Monica Rodriguez
Oh my goodness that was rough I think that was that was well I don't even know what was the heart is but that was okay so we're gonna backtrack now. So it was March or so yeah March Twenty Twenty we had just finished our second like second deadline.

30:08.12
walsworth_yearbooks
Of yep.

30:14.93
walsworth_yearbooks
Are.

30:15.12
Monica Rodriguez
Mission but my students you know we work we work ahead time so we had scheduled all these photos so we had the photos which was the good thing but we went when we got news that our school was gonna lock down I remember sending an email to the faculty saying if the yearbook students reach out to you please. Respond to their emails. We have 284 pages left to complete and that's how we went on lockdown because we still had even though we had sent them. We were you know we had proofs to finish being an Indesign school. We get to see our proofs. So we still have proofs to finish and then we had deadlines we hadn't even submitted like our entire sports index our entire clubs index what saved us was that I have um, just really good editors for my sports, especially and that particular student had already scheduled. Um, sports. So whatever we did not have we scrambled and got in those last couple days we had notice and then it was like 48 hours later that's it we were not allowed back on campus with scrambled to get like let's get you know baseball in there. We didn't get baseball. We didn't get you know sailing some of these. Sports that we hadn't covered that are more for lacrosse. So we scrambled to get that we went home and then we sat down and just you know, kind of the editors and I kind of worked out a strategy I didn't know what we were going to do we hated Google drive. Everything takes forever to like download.

31:35.87
walsworth_yearbooks
Yeah, ah, ah.

31:43.78
Monica Rodriguez
But the school said yep you could go ahead and take your take your computer. Take your nice big computer home. So I did that because I needed a nicer monitor and um I can't even tell you we worked so hard we were we were up I was up until 2 in the morning there was a weekend that I was up until 2 in the morning. Couple of nights straight with my editors just on Zoom sharing pages 1 by 1 just kind of reviewing everything that we needed and I think that was with the sports index and the club index and everyone was virtual. They had to submit their pages on time through the drive I don't know. I can't tell you how they did it. They did it though I have an amazing team that group has been with me so they were sophomores now. They're seniors and those sophomores were incredible. They got their work it on time so that we could download everything relink everything you know, check the pages. But them back and drive download convert relink I mean it was so zooming we spent I remember all of spring break. We worked on the book as a team like most most of it. It didn't matter if they were out of town. We were all on drive meet I mean on Zoom meeting and sending things through drive. It was that. Probably the most difficult aspect of this. So even last year with hybrid which was very difficult I that lockdown suddenly with over two hundred and eighty pages to complete was just something I and we met our final deadline and we got our books on time. So it was just I don't know how.

33:08.89
walsworth_yearbooks
Um, and and that what are those? What are those seniors doing now where where are they in college.

33:20.82
Monica Rodriguez
They're at college enjoying their lives and you know they're doing. They're 5 I mean I kept in touch with my former editors and they're at school so well one of them. Yeah, one of them is university of Miami the the other one's at wake forest um, and then the rest of the students are seniors now. I remember having just um, that year I had just a couple seniors and the rest were underclassmen that moved up. Um, but we definitely we did virtual um like we did a little a little thing where we I ordered bags for everybody with just with a mug and.

33:42.14
walsworth_yearbooks
Um, yeah.

33:56.68
Monica Rodriguez
Lots of little gifts and then I had a mom deliver them to all of the kids because we were we were we couldn't see we couldn't get together. We couldn't celebrate and so they each got something from me and it was just you know it was. It was a very rough time. The seniors didn't have their prom. They didn't have anything as they would kind of kind of bummed so yeah ah the yearbook that year was the biggest highlight at the end of the year we had um, we finally yeah we didn't know what we were gonna do. We needed to be safe but then the school decided to have a caravan um.

34:20.31
walsworth_yearbooks
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

34:32.57
Monica Rodriguez
You know to collect their yearbooks and last and senior items and stuff so we did like a drive drive through distribution and I got so many positive notes about the yearbook and how wonderful and it really became valuable because their year was cut short and so it was nice to to have something to hold onto.

34:39.75
walsworth_yearbooks
Yep.

34:52.17
Monica Rodriguez
And that's how we felt last year as well. It was like this isn't a normal year so to be able to have a book that looks like somewhat normal high school experience is is very very valuable for them.

35:03.89
walsworth_yearbooks
And our kids really need to be recognized for making all that happen because and you too. But what? what? Ah what a tremendous achievement and it's it's like I guess it's like having a baby you forget once the baby comes you forget how hard it was.

35:09.26
Monica Rodriguez
Yeah, no I agree.

35:21.19
walsworth_yearbooks
Going through it all and that's kind of the case. so okay so Twenty Twenty gets behind you and how did things change in 2021 particularly with the great awards this this book is getting.

35:36.11
Monica Rodriguez
Yeah I mean well when school started it was again I think we were in that position where we like had no idea coming off of that other one. It's like how do we do that? Wow okay, but now we have to do it all over again and now we were in a hybrid model. We have like I said you know our student body is. A lot of it. A lot of our students are international so it wouldn't be unlikely for me to have a couple of students um learning remotely from another country right? So I had I had 1 student who was learning remotely from Belgium she was in charge of the whole up the senior ads and made.

36:10.63
walsworth_yearbooks
Um.

36:12.65
Monica Rodriguez
It just made sense because you could download them from the site. Um, but that's how it was I mean I think I had once the schools start to open up a little bit and students were allowed to come in because we we had so many restrictions so we had no events on campus and we had we did have sports but no fans at the games. And we had the kids had you know students had the options of learning from of learning from home and even when they were allowed back on campus we had to maintain 50% capacity. So many students especially seniors just decided to kind of stay home. They were already getting used to the hype to learning remotely. I don't think I had more than five students ever I mostly had 2 to 3 last year in that in the black the as we go book the editor one editor in chief was with me the whole first semester once she was allowed back on campus. So maybe like three months of that first semester and the other one came back.

36:51.58
walsworth_yearbooks
Um.

37:09.59
Monica Rodriguez
Campus a second semester so there was never that it's hard to explain. It was hard to build that camaraderie and the team aspect especially with the newer students but we did as much as we could with that in that regard and um and we got very I think because of the fact that things were so different.

37:13.98
walsworth_yearbooks
He.

37:28.78
Monica Rodriguez
We felt like anything goes. You know it's a special year and and and one of the things we said was we're not going to sacrifice it and make it less just because we can I mean you know we had heard.

37:29.57
walsworth_yearbooks
Yeah, yeah.

37:41.56
Monica Rodriguez
Other people say oh well, don't worry about it. There's like you know talking to other advisors like well well we can't do that. We're not gonna cover sports this year we're not gonna cover this this year and my students were more like well no, we want to make this the real like this is what our school's all about. So we're gonna showcase it in just a creative or a different way. So we. Decided early on. We don't want every single spread to be people socially distanced. The photos would look really strange and wide so social distance photos masks everywhere. So we have some of that but we have um because of course everybody is wearing masks all the time. But then we. Took the time to tell individual a lot of individual stories and we covered things like well what kind of food is the most popular when you're home. What's your zoom lunch like you know and then that that way that involved the kids at home and we went back and sort of we started to find out stories like or find the kids that are never um.

38:26.76
walsworth_yearbooks
Um.

38:38.10
Monica Rodriguez
That were never on campus and reached out to them will tell us your story. Why are you at home and some of them had health issues or reasons why they couldn't and they shared those stories and we put those in and so it was just finding more creative just creative coverage like. How to disconnect? What do you do when you're off the screens. You know what are some ways to disconnect that was fun and um so we I you know every spread seemed to be kind of different and again everyone was a lot of my staff was at home So We had our standards. But at that point I was like well I'm going to cover this because I'm home and I can talk to some of the kids who are learning remotely. Okay, that's good. Let's do that You know so I think we I think that was the year we were the most creative in terms of coverage and even design and so we stepped out of the Book. We really, really.

39:22.47
walsworth_yearbooks
Um, yeah, yeah, absolutely yeah, which I think really, that's what set sets your book apart from a lot of others this past year and and what makes it so great and you really were covering stuff right out of the shoot.

39:30.70
Monica Rodriguez
And box.

39:42.28
walsworth_yearbooks
With the way that you're so organized. You're doing coverage stuff right away and writing stories and getting designs done earlier I think that a lot of so lot of schools do and that really showed in your final book.

39:55.62
Monica Rodriguez
Thank you.

39:57.70
walsworth_yearbooks
So okay, so things are coming a little bit more normal. How has this year been

40:02.67
Monica Rodriguez
This year's been good. Ah we you know we it's it's well actually you know it's a little interesting because I think you know last year we did have that sense I think even as a community where we're all doing the best we can we all have to be flexible so many changing. Minute by minute right? because you have covid cases going up going down and this year it's just we're back full force. Everything's back. All the events are back and then not only are they all back. Everybody wants to do more events. Let's do things. That's get so it's been.

40:37.42
walsworth_yearbooks
Yeah.

40:42.33
Monica Rodriguez
You know every every day we learn of something new that we just don't have space to cover. So um, from that standpoint we're like wow we are jampacking the book as much as we can to cover as many things as we can, but we have it an earlier deadline. So. You know where we could finish the book a little later if we wanted to because we were gonna have that drive by 2020 and last year we we distributed a graduation. Um, so then that was gave us a little bit of more time like a couple weeks more with our proofs this year. It's nope. We're back to normal. This is the day that we're distributing so now our deadlines are pushed back and and so we're working at a fast pace. We took a little time in the beginning you know, figuring out our theme slow-going it that first the first couple months don't worry we have time we have time and then now we're realizing we just. Don't have time to finish the book. So my final deadline I'm looking at it. Let me see it is March Eighth March final deadline.

41:35.92
walsworth_yearbooks
When is your final deadline.

41:43.92
walsworth_yearbooks
Oh my goodness and then and when do you look to ah to distribute.

41:49.72
Monica Rodriguez
And we look to distribute may twelfth so because we put a little different at our school. We distribute to seniors first and seniors finish a little early so we have to make sure we have it for whatever day.

41:55.53
walsworth_yearbooks
Um, that is so amazing.

42:08.77
Monica Rodriguez
They're gonna have their big distribution day they have ah like a senior sunset I think it is that they're doing and that's when we'll do our year with distribution so we work with the activities office. They'll tell us this is a date. We want it and then we work back from there. So yeah, it's really not a lot of time.

42:28.72
walsworth_yearbooks
It's the.

42:28.75
Monica Rodriguez
It's just not I'm just I'm looking at the calendar and I'm starting to hyperventil I give me a moment. Oh my god.

42:33.13
walsworth_yearbooks
I Never really thought about that though that you know there was a little bit more freedom for deadlines. Um in the past couple of years and now we are at least I'm glad to hear you're back to normal pretty close to normal. So.

42:46.19
Monica Rodriguez
Yeah, it felt like a little freedom I mean I don't know how other schools felt but for us because of the fact that the distribution was so up in the air I didn't have to worry so much about oh it has to be on this day for seniors. It's. Whenever we can do the drive by later on you know it could have been It could have been even further out I mean some schools I know waited until the summer and had a distribution so they had a little more time even then but this year it's just we're back in business. So you know.

43:12.97
walsworth_yearbooks
Well, that's good I'm glad I'm glad to hear it hey well one last little thing here. Um I like to give people at the end of the podcast to give little words of thanks to people who perhaps have helped them along the way being. Successful and I know you've mentioned a few but are there any other people you'd like to thank for being behind the scenes with some of your success. Well, we've had fun. We've had fun.

43:39.70
Monica Rodriguez
Well I've mentioned you thank you Jim I mean you've helped me you've helped me a lot. You've met with my students and we've hammered out you know, copy. So thank you very much. Um and then I have to thank. Veronica Levine my yearbook rep I sales rep and Lana Kilmer at the plant and really everyone at the plant cause remember I call customer service. They're just so helpful and but but Veronica and Lata have been my team I think. I mean ever since I started at walsworth I mean ever since I started with walsworth back in 9098 I've worked with with well I worked with Tom and then Veronica and Lana so we're kind of um, a little team. The 3 of us I think you know so I do i. I know I can always count on them whenever there's any kind of you know issue or concern and they've always had my back so to speak. So thanks to them.

44:41.50
walsworth_yearbooks
It is great to have people in the plant that have your back. You know your your rep your manager your customer service person. They make all the difference in the world.

44:51.40
Monica Rodriguez
And then I mean of course just personally here at school. My administration is incredibly supportive and um and then I have to go to my students and their parents because they I mean sometimes I say and and your parents are not gonna get mad that I'm calling for you on a. On a Sunday all day or on an evening. You know it's ten o'clock at night and I mean just that that really is I guess the most important group of people that I have to thank you know the parents and the administration for allowing me to be here with them and work with them and just.

45:22.10
walsworth_yearbooks
Yeah.

45:28.85
Monica Rodriguez
Really do support our program and I I wouldn't be where I am today or the kids even like the the books that we produce wouldn't be where they are if we didn't have that support in-house.

45:37.59
walsworth_yearbooks
Yeah, and a lot of a lot of ah private schools might not give you the kind of freedom that you have and I know they've really trust you and given you and your kids full first amendment freedom to cover and do what you need to do.

45:52.99
Monica Rodriguez
Yes, they do. There's no priority view I mean I like to share things sometimes sensitive topics. But um, but no, we do and I think you earn that you know I think I think over time The staff has earned that. Kids are very responsible or our students are very responsible. They so you know they they know what we can what we but we how to present things in a professional manner and what we're covering So um, until yeah I think that comes you earn that? Trust it's definitely not something that they just.

46:30.35
walsworth_yearbooks
And I think that comes from having ah a great advisor like you steering them through the obstacles that it takes to get a great book done and to work with the adults in your community and all that stuff So really a lot of the.

46:30.63
Monica Rodriguez
Right? you.

46:48.15
walsworth_yearbooks
Lot of the kudos go to you and thank you for fitting this podcast this this podcast into your busy schedule I know you are you are if not the busiest person at your school one of them and they're always throwing new things at you to take care of. So.

46:50.13
Monica Rodriguez
You? okay.

47:05.82
walsworth_yearbooks
Really I really appreciate your time and congratulations on on being walsworth advisor of note for February and for all the great awards that are going to be coming in the spring and we hope they're gold and pacemaker and all sorts of wonderful things. So thank you Monica I really appreciate you and your time.

47:22.42
Monica Rodriguez
Thank you, thank you so much for having me Jim.

47:27.90
walsworth_yearbooks
It's been great fun. Well now.