Studio Movie Grill Selects Monique Rodriguez as 'Wonder Woman'

From Studio Movie Grill: Monique Rodriguez, an Army veteran who has become a tireless advocate for veterans’ rights is Houston’s “Real Life Woman Superhero.” Rodriguez was one of the more than 700 nominees submitted to Studio Movie Grill (SMG) as part of a nationwide search for everyday women making a big difference in our communities. Nominations were solicited for a month (April 14-May 14) to find the women with the most inspiring stories from each of SMG’s 11 markets, including Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Indianapolis, Philadelphia, Rocklin/Sacramento, Scottsdale/Phoenix, Simi Valley/Los Angeles and Tampa. In the search to find the perfect candidates, a seven-person review committee carefully combed through each submission to select worthy representatives from each market, in addition to a special selection made by the Kidd Kraddick Morning Show.

The “Real Life Women Superheroes” were chosen based on their dedication to helping others, resiliency in the face of tough circumstances and professional achievements. Rodriguez and a guest, along with her fellow honorees, will be flown via Southwest Airlines to Dallas (home of SMG’s corporate headquarters) to see one of the world’s most iconic big screen Super Heroes in action at their own special red-carpet screening of the much-anticipated action adventure Wonder Woman taking place on May 31st. Prior to the film, each honoree will be presented SMG’s “Opening Hearts and Minds” Award, in support of SMG’s mission to open hearts and minds, one story at a time. A $1,000 donation will also be made to each honoree’s charity of choice. The Warner Bros. Pictures release starring Gal Gadot in the title role and directed by Patty Jenkins, opens nationwide on Friday, June 2.

Rodriguez’s compelling nomination, submitted online at www.studiomoviegrill.com, read:

“(Monique) is always helping other people in need as well as helping our family succeed. She is a social worker and an Army Veteran. She has helped veterans who were going to be evicted from their home find resources to prevent them from becoming homeless. She has found housing for families living in their car. She has helped Veterans who wanted to commit suicide get the mental health they needed to prevent them from following through with it. She has helped a woman Veteran win a new vehicle from Gieco insurance by sitting and helping her with her application and essay to tell her story why she deserved one of four they were giving away to Veterans. She is a volunteer Platoon Leader with The Mission Continues, on top of her normal job, leading 250 volunteers with community service projects throughout the East End in Houston, the community she grew up in as a child.

Check out some of her projects here: https://www.missioncontinues.org/service-platoon/Houston-5th-platoon. She has led her volunteers to work on many public spaces improving the quality of life such as re-painting an underpass connecting East End to downtown. She has led her team to update landscaping on two parks, a butterfly garden, and a street median. She has helped update a childcare center, laid wreaths and flags at the Houston National Cemetery, and updated a school garden to help the next generation of students. In the coming months, she has more projects planned including creating a walking trail and painting a mural in another park. She will also be leading a project to restore an abandon African American cemetery, where Buffalo Soldiers are also buried.

Finally, she will also be working to clean a creek in the community. Veterans from the Houston area have learned that if they need help, they can reach out to her and she will try to the best she can to get them the help they need. At home, she keeps our family moving by managing our finances, appointments, and making sure we all stay healthy. She also works on so many house projects improving our own home to make sure we have a safe and appealing place to live.”

Image via Pixabay