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California lottery honors teacher

Mrs. Reynoso will be presented with the 'Hero in Education' award by actor and singer Jai Rodriguez. Rodriguez is best known for his role as 'Angel' in the long running Tony award winning Broadway musical 'Rent.' On TV, he's the culture vulture on 'Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,' coaching straight guys on everything from the art of working a room to getting comfortable on the dance floor.

Mrs. Reynoso teaches Spanish and Psychology at Roosevelt High School in Los Angeles. Although she knows that academics are important, she realizes that high school students in today's society have needs that are not met by traditional school curriculum. She volunteers her spare time showing these young adults how to deal with the difficult crisis situations they encounter by mediating grief groups for students who have lost loved ones.

Mrs. Reynoso also runs crisis groups for students dealing with sickness or divorce in their family, as well as giving local youth a forum to discuss issues such as substance abuse. Most of these students can't afford therapy or do not have anyone to talk to about their feelings. Thanks to Susana Reynoso, they now have a safe place to express themselves.

In addition to her work with individuals, Mrs. Reynoso also spearheads a crisis response team at the school. When there is a catastrophe, such as a car accident, homicide or suicide, her team responds at any hour of day or night to provide immediate counseling services. Mrs. Reynoso also spends time volunteering at the juvenile detention center in her area.

Reynoso's pride and joy is the club she sponsors at Roosevelt High called Latinas Guiding Latinas. This mentoring group's goal is to combat the high dropout rate in the Latino community by motivating students towards educational success by pursuing a college education. Students from UCLA visit the school once a week to serve as role models in an effort to encourage students to stay in school and continue on to college. Mrs. Reynoso is a tremendous role model and inspires everyone that she meets; she is truly a Hero in Education!

The California State Lottery's 'Hero in Education' award has been presented monthly on The Big Spin show since 1999. The Lottery presents these awards to recognize special individuals who volunteer time and resources to their schools and communities.

The California State Lottery contributes at least 34 cents of every dollar that players spend on Lottery products to public education and returns more than 50 percent of sales to players in the form of prizes. Since its inception in 1985, the Lottery has contributed more than $19 billion to California schools out of total sales of more than $52 billion. Retailers win too, earning $3.3 billion in compensation since 1985.

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