Brenda Gonzales
Summary
Proficient Wraparound Resource Specialist adept at advocating for students to obtain necessary support and resources. Ready to bring advanced teaching, mentoring and assessment skills to challenging new role.
Overview
10
10
years of professional experience
Work History
Wraparound Resource Specialist
Houston Independent School District
08.2018 - Current
- Responsible for the non-academic supports needed to improve the well-being and academic achievement of all students on campus
- Works with the district, community and school to facilitate empowering events
- Engages families and school staff to better understand student needs, develops and manages partnerships with local service providers
- Collaborates with campus, wraparound services and manager to perform campus and community needs assessment, find service providers and troubleshoot challenges.
- Enhanced resource allocation efficiency by streamlining the procurement process and implementing inventory management strategies.
- Developed comprehensive resource plans, enabling successful project completion on time and within budget constraints.
- Helped formulate yearly plans and complied with all outlined improvement goals.
- Identified useful resources and coordinated referrals.
- Mentored junior staff members in effective resource management strategies, fostering a culture of continuous improvement throughout the organization.
Campus Transition Coordinator
Houston Can Academy-Southwest
08.2017 - 08.2018
- Responsible in assisting students in accessing services and resources that promote college and career readiness and facilitate positive outcomes in University, Career, College or Military
- Organize employer and college recruitment events for the campus
- Provide and coordinate on the job training/employment skills for students on a part time or full time basis
- Assist in the college application process and ensure college essays are ready to submit
- Assist students in completing FAFSA
- Ensure students have registered for ACT, SAT and TSI prior to graduation.
- Enhanced the transition process by creating and implementing tailored action plans for each student.
- Coordinated with teachers, parents, and support staff to ensure smooth transitions for students between grades or schools.
- Improved communication among stakeholders by conducting regular meetings and providing timely updates on student progress.
- Developed comprehensive assessments to evaluate student readiness for transitions, resulting in more effective intervention strategies.
- Collaborated with community partners to provide additional resources and support for transitioning students.
- Increased parent involvement in transition planning through targeted outreach efforts and educational workshops.
Student Advisor
Houston Can Academy-Hobby
09.2013 - 08.2017
- Responsible for working with students, families, courts, teachers, and school administrators to ensure that students are attending and engaging in school as the Truancy Intervention Advisor and Truancy Officer
- The primary goal is to redirect youth towards positive school attendance and towards a healthy lifestyle
- Collected and prepared data for the purpose of analyzing campus truancy procedures
- Developed recommendations for school administrators and teachers to improve the truancy program
- Communicated regularly with school staff for the purpose of establishing cooperative and innovative approaches to solving truancy issues
- Provided ongoing support through case management, home visits, and crisis intervention.
- Enhanced student retention by providing personalized academic guidance and support.
- Boosted graduation rates through proactive advising on course selection and degree requirements.
- Assisted students in overcoming challenges with effective problem-solving strategies, leading to higher levels of achievement.
- Developed strong relationships with faculty members, fostering an environment of collaboration in support of student goals.
- Contributed to the growth of the institution''s reputation through exceptional service in guiding students towards their educational objectives.
- Served as a mentor to new advisors, sharing best practices to ensure consistent quality across the team.
- Supported diverse populations of students by creating inclusive programming and events that fostered cultural awareness and understanding.
Education
Bachelor of Science, Psychology -
University of Houston Central
01.1999
Skills
- Bilingual (Spanish/English)
- Dropout Recovery Specialist
- Microsoft Office Suite & troubleshoot computer related issues
- Supported student's in post-secondary opportunities
- Truancy Officer from 2015-2017
- Decreased open truancy cases by 35% since 2014
- 19 years of Social Work Experience
- Maintained 97% attendance rate 2018-2023
- Gang Intervention with HPD and students
- Builds strong relationships with students, community, and colleagues
- Personalized Instruction
- Referral Coordination
- IEP Plan Familiarity
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Conflict Resolution
- Critical Thinking
Languages
Spanish
Native or Bilingual
Houston Live Stock Show and Rodeo
Volunteer on the Transportation Team 7 years collaborating with grounds crew to safeguard all routes for the transportation crew
Houston Food Bank
Facilitated the food bank events, trained and delegated all volunteers in all aspects to distributions
Star of Hope
Volunteered in the kitchen serving food for the occupants of the shelter
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
Wraparound Resource Specialist
Houston Independent School District
08.2018 - Current
Campus Transition Coordinator
Houston Can Academy-Southwest
08.2017 - 08.2018
Student Advisor
Houston Can Academy-Hobby
09.2013 - 08.2017
Bachelor of Science, Psychology -
University of Houston Central
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