Candi Rodriguez, a New York City School Safety Agent, has been protecting the same Upper West Side school for 43 years. Candi has recently been awarded the 2019 Sloan Public Service Award – “the Nobel Prize for City Government” – by the Fund for the City of New York for her excellence and commitment to public service.
Candi is a school safety agent in the Joan of Arc Public School Complex on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. She is beloved by generations of neighborhood families. From day one, she got to know the students, learned how to head off fights, and collaborated with staff to change the culture of the school. She is singled out for her leadership skills, strong work ethic, and remarkable personality. Several people have observed that parents love her, kids love her, and staff love her. This Upper West Side public school is one of the safest in the city because of Candi’s work.
Principal Brian Zager says, “When it’s about business, Candi is all about business. She’s an amazingly powerful presence. She’s about 5’3″ tall, but she can give the impression she is 6’4″.”
photo by Julia Discenza
