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Health & Fitness

Promising Future for 17-year-old Leilah Rodriguez

The next student advisor to Capistrano Unified School District Board of Trustees is from Capistrano Valley High.

Leilah Rodriguez, 17, has been appointed to the board in a nonvoting role for the 2013-2014 school year.

"While it's a huge responsibility, I also see it as a huge blessing," Rodriguez said. "I really look forward to see what this school year has in store for me."

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One of the main platforms that Rodriguez is eager to take on are ways to prevent bullying. 

"We've always had different programs against bullying in the schools, however, I feel like they could be more effective with my input and a lot of bullying goes unchecked," Rodriguez said. "I think that with this position, I can bring light to these situations."

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Rodriguez has shown great interest in her community as well as being a positive influence for her younger brother. 

"I just want to make sure that I leave my school district with more. It's already wonderful, and i just want to make sure that I'm making a difference. I have a younger brother thats in the school district, I want to leave something good for him."

Aside from maintaining an above average of a 4.0 GPA, Rodriguez is an active member of Model United Nations, Cougars for Character, National Honor Society, Hand in Hand, Colors of the Middle East and captain of her golf team.

After Rodriguez founded the Hand in Hand club, she has made efforts to help middle school students make the difficult transition into high school. 

"My parents make fun of me sometimes saying that I work too hard at the things that I commit to, but really I know that they're proud of me," Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez comes from a Mexican, Lebanese and Syrian background which allows her to connect to an international demographic, she said.

Being a part of a model United Nations has encouraged her to reach out to areas of need, she said.

"I see things that happen in the world today that most teens really don't check into," Rodriguez said. "I get to really learn about politics and how humanitarianism really works in different countries."

Rodriguez is currently in Texas serving her church as the president of her youth group for the Antiochian New Word Orthodox church. Being president has given Rodriguez the opportunity to lead an organization for a whole region on her own. 

"I love it because I get to be serving others and serving my church, it's a lot of fun. I've made friends all over the county, and all over the world actually," Rodriguez said. "It's allowed me to have a broader outlook on life and it has also given me the chance to go out a little bit by myself and become more of an individual because it requires me to travel to different places on my own."

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