Maribel Estrada: 'I am making a difference with the kids'
Maribel Estrada
School Office Secretary
Del Rey Woods Elementary School
In the heart of Del Rey Woods Elementary School, amid the daily hustle and bustle, Maribel Estrada serves as a calm and welcoming presence at the front office. As school office secretary, she manages the day-to-day operations with a genuine smile that reflects her deep-rooted passion for fostering connections with students and families.
“I like working with the children … making connections with the families, as well. All of that is very welcoming to me,” says Maribel.
Even though she grew up in Salinas, Maribel proudly states, “I am a Del Rey Woods student. I am an MPUSD student.” Maribel’s parents work in the agriculture industry and she moved several times as a child. “It was very challenging for me because every school year meant a new school. Meeting new people. Meeting new friends.” Her family eventually moved to Seaside, California, and she attended Del Rey Woods Elementary and then Fitch Middle School.
Maribel began working for MPUSD in 2017 as an attendance clerk at Walter Colton Middle School. With the pending closure of Walter Colton, she began seeking new opportunities in the district and came across an opening for the school office secretary at Del Rey Woods Elementary School.
“I feel that MPUSD has helped me grow. I felt I was ready to take on that (school office secretary) challenge,” she says. In her second year at Del Rey Woods there have been a lot of learning opportunities. “I am not just stuck at my desk doing school office secretary work. I help around the office with families, with students.”
Maribel enjoys helping students and even quips that they help her fit better into her position and in the school environment. “I feel we get to learn every day with the children and their families,” she says. “I’ve been able to help with children with concerns, mental issues, social issues. Being part of the office has helped me grow as a person and as an employee.”
Helping students learn is a huge part of Maribel’s day. She enjoys making connections and says students “come to my office and feel safe with me. Just being here in this job I am making a difference with the kids.”
Looking ahead to the future Maribel hopes to one day become a school counselor where she can continue using her skillset to serve students and their families.
When Maribel is not tending to the school office at Del Rey Woods, she can be found at home reading and cooking. She not only enjoys reading with her son, but they often play active video games together, too.