Hello, we're Rita & Sara.

Meet Rita… 

Rita Rodarte-Myers has a career in education spanning over 25 years. From Career Specialist and Job Developer to College & Career Adviser and NCAA Coordinator, her vast experience has all been in support of helping Downey Unified School District students find their true paths. In her 12 years as a College & Career Adviser, she guided over 3,800 students annually to create their own post-secondary educational plans, including college, vocational, and work pathways. During her tenure, she helped increase the number of students attending four-year colleges by 27%, and two-year colleges by 32%. In her current position as a Financial Aid Director, she helps students navigate the complexities of financial aid so they can achieve their educational dreams. Spearheading program and policy changes to facilitate a more accessible and efficient financial aid program, the campus has seen a direct positive impact on enrollment and completion as a result of her involvement. Selected as Sorptomist International of Downey's Woman of Distinction in 2016, Rita was honored not only for her commitment to students, but for her contributions to her community. She served for several years as the Chairwoman for Downey's Relay for Life, and helped raise over $200,000 for cancer research during her leadership. Selected to represent Assemblymember Cristina Garcia’s 58th District in Sacramento, Rita lobbied state legislatures on behalf of bills supported by the American Cancer Society.  All endeavors Rita is involved with benefit greatly from her activism, dedication and empathy.

Meet Sara… 

Sara Escobedo began her career in education over 20 years ago as a Teacher Librarian with Downey Unified, and continues to take great joy in the thousands of students and staff members she has the honor of serving each day. From partnering with teachers on lessons in advanced research skills, or teaching students about information and digital literacy, she is passionate about creating an empowered community of learners. Her goal and outlook is always to find a way to say "yes" to her students and staff, even before she hears their request. With an average traffic of over 1,200 students daily, the library community she has created is continually focused on fostering a positive environment of academic and personal growth. Sara was honored with Soroptimist International of Downey's Woman of the Year Ruby Award in 2011 for her decade-long service as a Girls League Advisor, where she mentored hundreds of girls to leadership as they served their communities.  An active member of her library educational community, she is a member of San Jose State University's Teacher Librarian Program Curriculum Advisement Committee, has presented at the California School Library Association State Conference, and also served as Vice-Chair of the Library Board of Trustees for the City of Whittier. In 2021, Sara presented at the American Library Association's fall conference, as she was selected for their School Librarians: Change Agent 2.0 Campaign, where she shared her insights on what makes a winning school library program. For Sara, librarianship is all about relationships, all in an effort to get back the patron, not just the book. 

Meet Collegiate Coaching… 

Rita and Sara worked on the same campus for 12 years, partnering together to serve thousands of high school students as they achieved their dreams of higher education. As Rita shifted into the world of financial aid, she yearned to continue advising students in their college process in a continued partnership with Sara, and thus, Collegiate Coaching was born. What began with in-home visits to assist students and families with college planning, soon blossomed into speaking engagements for high schools, districts, colleges, athletic showcases, and community organizations across Southern California. Rita's vast expertise in the nuances of college applications, financial aid, and athletic recruitment, coupled with Sara's mastery of college essay writing, application organization, and strategy, combine into a powerful program that puts students and families in control of their college application process, and their educational pathways. They love the life-changing nature of their work!