Ninth's Notables - September 2021

Yesterday, the Ninth Circuit honored our September recipient of the Ninth’s Notables Award for Excellence: Michel Rodriguez!

Michel is the Neighborhood Restorative Justice Program Coordinator here at the Ninth Circuit. It was her hard work and dedication throughout the pandemic that kept the Neighborhood Restorative Justice and Teen Court programs operating. She spent countless hours researching the Microsoft TEAMS application and determining how it could help in keeping both programs running when face-to-face interaction could not happen.

She has also been vital to the coordination of S.T.O.P. meetings with Harbor House and program participants through TEAMS. She took on the incredibly time-consuming task of photocopying and mailing each participant their binders so they had the necessary tools to participate in the classes, while also tracking class attendance and communicating with program coordinators.

And that’s not all. Despite a packed work schedule, Michel still finds the time to help facilitate the “Exhibit A” Art Shows and assist in displaying all the artwork submitted.

Michel is a wonderful example of excellence in the judicial system. Her organizational skills are second to none, with not a single thing out-of-place, and her understanding of family dynamics helps our Circuit provide the proper care and service to the many clients and families we meet. She has a passion for helping the kids in her program and this fact is evident in her work.

Without her support, teamwork, and dedication to this judicial system, these programs just wouldn’t be the same. For these reasons, and many more, she is our September recipient of the Ninth’s Notables Award for Excellence.