Get to Know EduCare:

Administrative Staff – Our Strong Foundation

EduCare's dedicated staff members make possible all the services and support we provide for more than 30,000 students each and every year. From payroll to logistics, from program coordination to calendars, the heroes who work out of our main office are the wind beneath the wings of our Afterschool Programs, ACE (Achievement and Commitment to Excellence) Programs and ACE Initiative, Case Management and Specialized Services, Professional Development, and Parent and Family Skills Development – whew!  

We invite you to get to know just two of the people on our amazing administrative team.
Meet Rocio Rodriguez and Joseph Montesdeoca!

Rocio Rodriguez

Rocio's title, Program Manager, doesn't even begin to touch the scope of her job. She is in charge of managing every aspect of logistics for ACE Programs and Workshops.  

With 100 students typically participating each time, that's a lot to coordinate!

• Organize all supplies needed for each event

• Organize all meals for students, staff, and teachers

• Coordinate with each school to schedule the teachers attending

• If necessary, secure a venue and transportation

Not only that, but Rocio handles the many details of EduCare's participation in several conferences each year. When EduCare sent staff and students to CalSAC this year (to advocate for increased afterschool funding), it was Rocio who scheduled every meeting with legislators and staff.

Spreadsheets are Rocio's friend, needless to say! Ideas, conflict resolution, what worked, what needs improvement...her job involves precision, organization, creativity, and a lot of great teamwork – and she loves it. 

Following early work with other expanded learning programs in the Los Angeles area, Rocio began working with EduCare as an Assistant Site Coordinator at STEM@Hollywood High School in 2019. When schools closed due to the Covid pandemic, she was invited to merge her love of working with young people with her organizational skills – and she moved into her current role.

Outside of the office, Rocio's naturally outgoing, creative personality draws her to music festivals like Coachella. She also brings her ingenuity to parties, where she creates spectacular candy tables – or tends bar with good humor and flair.

We are so happy that Rocio has brought her skills and heart to EduCare! 

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Joseph Montesdeoca

As Human Resources Associate, Joseph is the first contact a potential new employee makes with EduCare. As he says, "I bring people from the outside in." 

He makes sure that people applying for a job have all the information they need, at every stage of the process. He also ensures that EduCare hires those who will support our students and be strong team members. 

When EduCare took over afterschool programs at Sylmar High School, where Joseph was a tutor, they asked him to stay on – and to become the first assistant site coordinator at the school. A few years later, he became the first associate site coordinator at Estéban Torres High School, where he helped lay the groundwork for their afterschool program. Just a few months later, he was asked to assist at Lincoln High School as the very first Associate Site Coordinator. 

Life took a sharply different turn for Joseph in the summer of 2016, when he received a cancer diagnosis. He spent the next several months getting treatment, and miraculously, was restored to health by the end of the year (and happily engaged, as well – since his girlfriend proposed to him during his treatment). He returned to work in 2017, offering to help out with human resources.

With his in-depth understanding of afterschool programs, he was a perfect fit for HR, ensuring that EduCare hires the people needed, while building rapport among our rapidly growing team of afterschool personnel. He's involved with every step of hiring and onboarding new personnel. It's a complex process, since people who work on school campuses must meet the specific requirements of the school districts where they will work (i.e., Los Angeles Unified School District [LAUSD] and Lynwood Unified School District [LUSD]), as well as those for LAUSD's Beyond the Bell and state and federal laws. "I'm here to make your life easier," is his watchword, and he loves where he is and what he is doing.

Not only does Joseph excel with EduCare's human resources, but with a degree in sound engineering, and as a talented musician (drums and violin), he has been a regular DJ at clubs as well as at private parties (including a memorable occasion on the Queen Mary). His list of musical inspiration is long and varied, ranging from Louis Armstrong to Black Sabbath to Depêche Mode. And he welcomed his son at the end of last year (many, many congratulations), adding to his very full life.

Joseph touches so many lives inside and outside of EduCare, and we are grateful that he is part of our wonderful team!

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