UPFRONT: PROFILE
Giselle Rodriguez SUCCESS IS SWEET, BUT SWEETER STILL IS HELPING OTHERS TO SUCCEED Photo by Robert Ortiz
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s the second generation daughter of a mother born in Colombia and a father from Puerto Rico, Giselle Rodriguez was right at home in the Bronx where she grew up. “The Bronx was probably intimidating to outsiders,” says Rodriguez. It was a diverse neighborhood with a colorful and exciting blend of cultures. Everyone spoke different languages and came from different backgrounds. “That diversity brought us together as a family,” she says. “We shared and celebrated the different traditions that we brought to our block.” After high school, her parents moved the family to Puerto Rico. Rodriguez attended school and worked on perfecting her Spanish. Ten years later, she returned to the United States with her own new family and settled in Nashua where other relatives lived. In 2008, shortly after having her third child, newly divorced and a single mother of three young children, Rodriguez was often working two part-time jobs while pursuing a degree. One of her children required open heart surgery and she was able to rely on the kindness and flexibility of her employers. With headline news of the 2008 market crash, foreclosed homes, and rampant job losses, Giselle was overwhelmed and fearful. She was struggling herself with finances, mental health, and stability. But gradually she pulled through, with the help of New Hampshire’s benefit programs, grants, support and public health assistance that she received. “I didn’t want to become another statistic of a Hispanic Single-Mom. I convinced myself this would be only temporary,” says Rodriguez. In 2013, while working in a dental office, she had only one class left for her Bachelor’s degree when she was notified that her final grant had fallen through. Unable to pay for the class up front, she was preparing to postpone graduation when, to her surprise, she received a statement in the mail stating the bill had been paid, with a note, “You got this. I believe in you and know you will pay it forward.” That anonymous message and gift, combined with other financial assistance and support she had received over the years, inspired Rodriguez to a refocus her efforts with passion and determination. In 2015, she joined Northeast Delta Dental, first as a Provider
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Services Team Leader and then as a Professional Relations Specialist. One of her current responsibilities is to build strong relationships with the dental community. In addition, she serves as Spanish/English interpreter and translator at benefit fairs, open enrollment and other events. Rodriguez voiced her interest in volunteerism to management and the company funded her enrollment in the prestigious Hoffman Haas Fellowship, a program designed to inspire, mentor, and prepare young leaders with the skills to serve on a board. Armed with these skills, Rodriguez was named a board member of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) a cause dear to her heart because of a close relative with Type 1 Diabetes. She also served as board member and secretary for Positive Street Art, a nonprofit committed to inspiring a passion for urban arts in a productive way. She is pursuing her Masters in Industrial and Organizational Psychology at Harvard University’s Extension School, taking advantage of the N.E. Delta Dental’s tuition reimbursement program. None of this would have been possible without support from the State of New Hampshire, the encouragement and flexibility of managers and coworkers at Northeast Delta Dental, and the mentorship she received from within the company and from leadership program executives, says Rodriguez. “I would never have accomplished what I have without the support and mentoring I received,” claims Giselle. “I encourage men and women who are struggling to get ahead, to find a mentor, and set goals. Hitting rock bottom is the worst thing that could happen to you, only if you decide to stay there.” 603
