American-born and Spanish-raised Ornella Rodriguez attended ASB from fourth grade until graduation in 2018. Her older sister, Camila ‘15, also graduated from the school and their younger brother, Nicolas, is currently a Grade 11 student. Her mother, Monica Rodriguez, was one of the parents instrumental in the early days of the ASB Welcoming Committee for new families.

In her third year pursuing a degree in European Studies with a major in European Law at the University of Amsterdam, Ornella is currently working on her thesis on the European Court of Justice role as a motor for European Integration in particular in the field of criminal law. Following graduation this summer, she has secured an internship with an NGO in Madrid, where she will assume the role of EU law researcher.

When asked to recall teachers from ASB who inspired her today, she quickly responds, “Mr. Speier, my 11th-grade history teacher, will forever live in my mind as a true inspiration. There was no teacher like him, incredibly unique and very motivating; he could motivate even the least productive students. He was a very open-minded teacher with rigorous teaching methods that yielded outstanding results. I will always hold very fond memories of the “Spierer Era,” as will the rest of my peers at the time. I am sure my class would agree that he helped all students reach their maximum potential.”



At ASB, Ornella was always involved in Student Council, taking on leadership roles from Grade 5 and being a board member all four years of high school. Her experience as President of Student Council her senior year, Vice President in tenth grade, Treasurer in grades nine and eleven, and the Ambassador award she received in her graduating class provided her with a great foundation for leadership roles in the future. She was also involved in various outreach programs, Model United Nations, AMAC sports conferences, and the 2017 Medical Mission to Peru.



Her favorite memories from school include Prom (2017), graduation (2018), ski week trips, the Medical Mission to Peru, senior trip to Mykonos, and her Ambassador Award in 2018.

“During my time at ASB, I was able to become a well-rounded, culturally aware individual. ASB certainly shaped me into the person I am today.”

ASB in one word?

“Wholesome.”



Once a Lynx, Always a Lynx!
#Lynx4Life #ASBTogether

Contributed: April 2021