Melida Rodas remembers as a child when she said goodbye to the greenery and volcano of her home in Guatemala and exchanged it for the concrete of New York City spending hours on a Greyhound bus to get to the Port Authority. Like many immigrants both children and adults she experienced tremendous culture shock. Hence when she heard the story of the formation of Grupo Cajola and our mission she felt it was her story.
She grew up in Bayonne, New Jersey and graduated from NJCU with a Bachelor of Fine Arts & Education. Melida has many awards and accolades bestowed upon her, too many to list here.
However, her website captures who she is in total. https://www.melidarodas.com/
Grupo Cajola “discovered” Melida when she was bestowed the title Poet Laureate
for the City of Jersey City, by the Jersey City Arts Council and the municipality in
2025. It is a two year term, 2025-2026, where she will serve as an ambassador for
poetry and advocate for the literary arts.
Melida has over twenty years of experience as an educator. She explained how she focuses on empowering students through history education, literacy and the arts. Her teaching methods embrace a wide range of literature that reflects the varied experiences of all students, fostering a classroom atmosphere that promotes open dialogue, mindfulness, and introspection. Again we felt a shared purpose and mission as the Cajola preschool provides experiential learning based in the Mam language and culture, the involvement of parents, and the Reggio Emilia philosophy of learning.
Melida says: “ART IS CULTURE and OUR LEGACY to future generations. You see...
I may be able to teach a child the principals of design as I may be able to teach a student the difference between a Neolithic and a Renaissance sculpture, but that would not satisfy my purpose."
Art is so much more than that. Teaching is so much more than that. I believe that Art is just as important as any academic field of study. Because Art is also: A voice, A valuable tool for survival, A key element in exploring the world around us, A vehicle for change.
With this philosophy in mind Melida and Grupo Cajola are working together on a fundraiser at the N.J Ethical Cultural Society in Teaneck, N.J. on Saturday, September 27, 2025 @ 2pm to raise funds for the new school building, where Melida will recite her poetry and donate a ceramic piece of pottery for the silent auction. Melida will also participate in our Art Exhibition at the Bergen Gallery in Paramus, NJ., for the month of January 2026. Register here
