Retired counselor Diana Rodríquez honored as Arte Américas’ mother of the year

When Diana Rodríquez took her daughter Alegre on a visit to East Coast colleges to determine her post-high school journey, the veteran counselor came up with an idea: Why not take other area students on the same trip?

For 20 years, with the support of the Fresno Unified School District, Rodríquez accompanied more than 400 students to visit top colleges and universities throughout the country.

“As an educator, Diana always saw higher education as a step forward to opening doors for her students,” said Ruth Saludes, executive director of Arte Américas. “She saw potential in every one of them.”

The result: Doctors, lawyers, engineers, social workers, community activists and other professionals.

“She clearly made an impact on the lives of her students,” said Saludes while honoring Rodríquez with the Mother of the Year honor from Arte Américas on May 8.

Rodríquez paid tribute to her mother, Dora Molly González, “who represented so much to me.”

“My mother was a woman of honor and dignity. She exhibited quiet strength and had a work ethic that never stopped,” said Rodríquez. “She was my idol and my hero, just like many of the fierce mujeres that are here today.”

The Mother’s Day tradition, which was halted the last two years by the pandemic, featured music by Mariachi Alas de Plata, a silent auction and Mexican food.

The main attraction for the estimated 200 who attended the event, however, was the naming of the mother of the year.

Saludes presented Rodríquez with a rebozo handcrafted in Chiapas, México. The honoree also received a City of Fresno proclamation naming May 8 as Diana Rodríquez Day.

Rodríquez was one of six children born to Dora Molly and Ignacio González in Donna, Texas. Her family left Texas and settled in Sanger.

She graduated in 1970 with a Fresno State degree in arts with a focus on textiles. One year later, she earned her teaching credential from Fresno State. She taught at Sequoia Middle School and Roosevelt High School.

In 1991, Rodríquez became a counselor at Edison High School. She also had that same position at Roosevelt, Sunnyside, Hoover and McLane high schools.

“I think we can all agree that we are fierce protectors of our children,” Rodríquez told the mothers in the audience. “We want to open every door for them that was not open for us. We want to create opportunities for them to realize all of their dreams.

“I tried my best to do that for my own children. I tried to do that for every student who crossed my path because they deserved that opportunity too.”

In 1990, she was named teacher of the year by the Fresno chapter of the Association of Mexican American Educators.

Rodríquez has two children, Alegre and Nicholas. She and her husband live in Sanger.

Esta historia fue publicada originalmente el 9 de mayo de 2022, 11:08 p. m..