Maria Rojas says the small things make a big difference for people

CINCINNATI - Our student of the week for Oct. 8 is a senior at Mount Notre Dame High School. Her teachers say she strives to be the best person she can, in and out of the classroom.

Maria Rojas said she takes pride in the fact that she helps out people across the globe. It’s just who she is. She works everyday to try and do small things to help out anyone she can.

"All the little stuff adds up to make a big difference. I think that if I try to do as many of the little things as I can, then that's going to be the biggest difference I can make," Rojas said.

She takes all advanced placement courses, ranks in the top ten in her class, and Rojas is also the president of the senior class.

“[Rojas] is also an inspiring leader, both here at Mount Notre Dame and out in the greater Cincinnati community," said Jennifer Bogges, a teacher at Mount Notre Dame, and also the nominator. "[Rojas] was one of the founding student members of Charitable Innovations."

Charitable Innovations is a student led, not-for-profit, that takes donations they have received, and then multiplies the impact of that donation through micro-loan investments, Bogges added.

"This passion for philanthropy started at Mount Notre Dame where [Rojas] played an integral part of our Youth Philanthropy Council and the Mount Notre Dame chapter of Unified for Unifat," Bogges said. "While Maria is still involved with these organizations at Mount Notre Dame, she has moved beyond and also works with these philanthropic organizations at a bigger level, including being on the city-wide board for Unified for Unifat, an organization that promotes schools for children in Northern Uganda."

Rojas says she loves being able to help so many people through the not-for-profit group.

"It's taught me so much I guess. As much as it's helping the community and different charities and people all over the world, it's helped me so much. I just feel very lucky to be a part of it," said Rojas.