LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Jodie Woodruff was nominated by a colleague, Brandon Lane.

Ms. Woodruff's career reflects an extraordinary dedication to education, community empowerment, and innovative leadership, impacting countless lives through her education and social entrepreneurship roles. Her journey began at The Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center (The Met) in 2002. For over two decades, she has contributed to the success of this unique institution, serving students through small school, personalized and real-world learning opportunities and initiatives. She currently serves as director of the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. There, Ms. Woodruff led the establishment of the nation's first freestanding public high school entrepreneurship center. Her responsibilities included curriculum design, program design, and evaluation, as well as fundraising and managing an annual budget of $250,000 to support operations. Under her leadership, the center serves 150 students annually, providing them with foundational business skills and the mindset of an entrepreneur and empowering them to explore social ventures. Twenty-four students over twenty-five years old are making a living from what they started in the classroom, with seventeen of them earning a college degree.

The program Ms. Woodruff has created has also achieved success beyond the classroom. Her students have consistently received four-year scholarships to business schools and rank nationally, winning four out of the past six years in the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) National Business Plan Challenge, a competition with over 30,000 students nationwide. Last year, her students won first place in NFTE's global competition, a testament to their training and dedication under Ms. Woodruff's guidance. They have also been honored with the Ernst and Young Youth Entrepreneur Award every year since its inception fourteen years ago. Ms. Woodruff's students have excelled at college Start-Up Weekend events, and through her leadership, they continue to build connections throughout the business communities in Rhode Island and Boston, gaining invaluable social capital—an asset rarely taught or referenced in high school settings. 

Ms. Woodruff's impact extends beyond administration. As a former principal and building leader at The Met, she fostered a supportive educational environment, overseeing curriculum development, professional development, and community outreach for 120 students and a staff of 20. Her dedication to student-centered learning and community engagement embodies her belief in lifelong learning and personal growth. In addition to her work at The Met, Ms. Woodruff contributes her expertise to the broader community. She serves as a house manager at The Groden Center, supporting and empowering cognitively disabled adults in developing life skills. Ms. Woodruff also teaches Driver's Education at the Community College of Rhode Island, helping young adults gain the skills necessary for independence. In addition, she is an advisor and instructor for College Unbound, working at the local prison and serving nontraditional learners in their academic endeavors.

Ms. Woodruff has been recognized widely for her contributions. Among her many accolades, she has received the Leader and Achiever Award (Providence Monthly, 2022), the Henry Ford Teacher Innovation Award (2017), and the Global Educator of the Year Award from the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (2014). These awards reflect her role as a pioneer in educational innovation and her enduring impact on students and her peers. As a lifelong educator and mentor, Ms. Woodruff has redefined leadership, consistently showing that education extends beyond the classroom. Her legacy is tireless dedication to her students, her community, and the innovative possibilities of education.

"I am honored to nominate Jodie Woodruff for the LifeChanger of the Year award and can think of no one more deserving," said Lane.