LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

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Diana Palma-Cheng

Position: Parent Coordinator
School: The Brooklyn Latin School
School District: New York City Department of Education, District 14
City, State: Brooklyn, NY

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Music that Describes Diana


Diana Palma-Chang was nominated by an anonymous parent of a student.

"Ms. Palma-Cheng is the one of the first administrators I met at New Family Orientation at The Brooklyn Latin School. We were both new to the school. I was new to the culture of the school and everything about being a parent of a high school student," said the nominator. "The school's culture of being a classical curriculum was new to me. Discipuli? Magistri? Salve? These words sounded foreign to me. Ms. Palma-Cheng made me feel comfortable right away, however."

Ms. Palma-Cheng was warm, patient with all our questions, and enthusiastic about her first year at the school. She explained the culture of the school to nervous parents on a daily basis. Ms. Palma-Cheng comes through for parents by answering calls, emails and drop-ins no matter the time of the day, and usually within a half-hour. She'll drop a quick note if she needs more time to investigate an issue or request.

"My daughter has respect for Ms. Palma-Cheng because she respects the students.  She models leadership to the students.  She leads by example," said the nominator. "When she recruits student volunteers, she'll explain the tasks to them with grace and calmness. She speaks to them in respectful tones."

"Three years later, Ms. Palma-Cheng still exceeds expectations. Other parents told me of times when Ms. Palma-Cheng came through for them when students forgot their dues, missed the deadline for a trip, or were simply lost," said the nominator. "Many students entrust their 'crisis' to Ms. Palma-Cheng because she hardly says 'no.' She nurtures the students and parents.  She walks alongside parents at High School Fairs, Open School Nights, and Parent Association meetings.  Her presence at these events means she has to sacrifice her family time on weekends and evenings in order to be present at the functions.  She is always present and answers questions with a smile."

The school's atmosphere is inclusive because Ms. Palma-Cheng treats everyone fairly.  She doesn't show favors with any particular families, and parents find her approachable. The communication line is always open with Ms. Palma-Cheng.  She has a can-do spririt while serving a very diverse community at the school.  Ms. Palma-Cheng's professional performance is admired by staff and parents alike. She is real with everyone.

"Ms. Palma-Cheng is the perfect liason between parents and school administrators.  She gets us answers as we plan events for the students. She shows up for work with the goal of serving the Brooklyn Latin School with her best foot forward," said her nominator. "Year after year, she leads the new parents to a stable place where we are no longer frightened, but confident about our child's chance of success.  We have her on our speed dial because she always comes through for us."

Comments (17)

Kenan Jaffe Posted over a year ago

Well-deserved congrats to Diana! She is a mainstay of our school community and we are so lucky to have her.

Edilia Batista Posted over a year ago

Diana Palma-Cheng’s professionalism, focus and enthusiasm are one of the engines that helps to propel our student community to succeed. She is a role model and definitely a bright star of our TBLS community.

Rebecca Davidson Posted over a year ago

Ms. Palma-Cheng is such an integral and valued member of our school community. She always knows how to solve problems on the fly, help out a student or staff member in a bind, and communicates openly and efficiently with students and their families. She is such a caring, kind and friendly face in our office for our students and families to lean on for support and guidance. We couldn't be luckier to have her as part of our team! Thank you so much Ms. Palma-Cheng for ALL that you do!

Meghan Dunn Posted over a year ago

Diana Palma is so committed to our students and is always kind and calm when greeting prospective and current families. I couldn't ask for a better person to be the first face our families encounter when interacting with our school.

Colleen Teslik Posted over a year ago

Diana Palma-Cheng is one of the most calm and cool people I have ever met. She she is always level-headed and empathetic towards all members of the community. She's awesome!

Tom Cork Posted over a year ago

It’s so wonderful to have Diana as our Parent Coordinator. She loves our students, has great relationships with families, and is always there to help out teachers, even if it’s just to share a laugh! Thank you, Diana, for everything you do for TBLS!!

Gina M Mautschke-Mitchell Posted over a year ago

Brooklyn Latin is so lucky to have Diana Palma-Cheng as our Parent Coordinator! She has such an integral part of our community! She is an advocate for families and students, helps coordinate communication and relationships with our families, students, and our school, leads recruiting efforts, and coordinates marketing and social media sites to keep our community abreast of our celebrations and key events. Kudos, and keep up the great work! We are incredibly proud of Diana Palma-Cheng!

Jair Cheng Posted over a year ago

Excellent job!!! Very supportive in all aspects of a child’s education and a parents guide to their child(s) educational progress.. wooooo you go Mrs Palma-Cheng

Blanca Posted over a year ago

Diana is amazing and she is a great person, I believe she will do a great job if she are selected.

Bianka Posted over a year ago

Mrs. Palma-Cheng is truly remarkable and I know she is deserving of this award. I’m so grateful for her dedication and professionalism. We love her!!

Anna Miller Posted over a year ago

I worked with Diana at a previous job and her warmth and patience for both clients and staff always stood out. It is not surprising to me that she was nominated for Life Changer of the Year and she deserves it one hundred percent!

Blanca Posted over a year ago

I’m very happy Diana has been nominated, she always have smile in her face, she is an example for a young people. Congratulations

McCain Posted over a year ago

Ms. Palma- Cheng is a rock star!! We are happy to have her on our team!!

Kimberly Speller Posted over a year ago

She is an amazing dedicated professional!!!

Miguelina Vargas Posted over a year ago

Congratulations Diana! Keep up the great work. In the time I have known Diana I can say that she is a remarkable, diligent and motivated young women. Her ability to connect with individuals and work well with others shows she is an exceptional role model to many people.

J. C. Posted over a year ago

I am pleased to support Ms. Palma-Cheng and her impecable talents, as well as her outstanding qualifications. Ms. Palma-Cheng has gone above and beyond, using her helping skills, which come naturally to her, for changing lives. In my opinion this outstanding citizen is already a winner, in the eyes of the community. Her contributions should be enough proof of her loyalty as a community advocate. She works hard, loves people and always tries, with success, to lift the spirits of those around her with no hesitation. There may not be anyone more deserving of this award than Ms. Palma-Cheng.

Karla Caceres Posted over a year ago

She's truly amazing and very caring person.