Living Legends of Alexandria celebrated the invaluable work of Rosa Landeros, an amazing ACPS parent liaison at Mount Vernon Community School (Mount Vernon), by presenting her with a 2020 Living Legends of Alexandria Award. Her induction ceremony was held May 18, 2022, at the Masonic Temple, an event that had been delayed for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Living Legends of Alexandria shared a video of Landeros during the ceremony.
“The Mount Vernon community is thrilled to see Rosa finally receive this honor,” said Megan Reing, president of the Mount Vernon Parent-Teacher Association (PTA). “There is no one more deserving. Rosa works tirelessly to bring people together — be it Spanish speakers and English speakers, parents and teachers or parents and children.”
Landeros describes her role at Mount Vernon as that of a cultural broker between students, teachers, parents and the community. In the school division since 1998 and at Mount Vernon since 2000, Landeros says she is very lucky to work with administrators who believe in what she does, serving as the link between school and home.
“We are very fortunate to have someone like Mrs. Landeros in our Family Engagement Team at ACPS,” said Krishna Leyva, ACPS Family and Community Engagement (FACE) manager. “Her passion and commitment to our students and families is an inspiration to everyone around her.”
Landeros says her life experience — coming from Mexico where she was a social worker, along with her husband and two small children who did not speak English — helps her do the job she does today. At Mount Vernon, she connects students and their families to the support and services they need to achieve academic and social success. She credits the wonderful school PTA for working hard to raise funds that go directly to providing for students at the school.
Where there is a need, Landeros finds a way. Landeros organized Blessings in a Backpack, which for the past five years has sent 100 less privileged children home with non-perishable food for Saturday and Sunday. Landeros says her proudest effort is the Neighbors to Friends program, which she first envisioned as a project in her Parent Leadership Training Institute class in 2008.
Neighbors to Friends brings together English and Spanish speaking families to learn one another’s language and culture. Regular meetings are held each week, with teachers, families and staff members coming together in an informal setting where they can learn about each other. Landeros says this interaction also assists families with helping their children at home. Reing has been working with Landeros in carrying out this program and says it is a privilege to see her in action, “Her humility, grace and sincere dedication bring out the best in everyone around her.”
As the Living Legend that she is, Landeros believes that people find they have more in common than differences when they share their experiences and culture.