Girl, 9, who died in Brooklyn building collapse was courageous, flourishing student: teachers

The youngest victim who lost their life in the horrifying Brooklyn building collapse was an eager student who lit up the classroom with her kindness and love for learning, her grieving teachers told The Post.Nikol Daniela Salvada Rodriquez, 9, a third-grader at Success Academy in Flatbush, was killed along with seven others — including her father and cousin — in the deadly disaster on Wednesday just after 4 p.m.Her heartbreaking death has left the charter school’s community shattered, with her teachers honoring her life amid the unimaginable loss.“She was a quiet girl, but whenever she knew that her answer was correct, she would find this courageous loudness about her and speak with so much confidence that she would encapsulate the room,” teacher Elia Robertson said.Nikol loved to read, and was determined to excel at school, and her excitement at learning was contagious.

The classroom would break out into a “dance party” anytime she scored a 100% on her ELA tests, her teacher said.“She loved to dance,” Robertson recalled.“Every single first thing we do without her: first ELA lesson, first book reading, first math lesson — every first without her, it’s just like a re-heartbreak.”Tyiara Flood, who also taught Nikol, said she also loved to draw, describing her as a “bright, sweet and talented scholar.” Robertson said telling Nikol’s classmates that she died was one of the most difficult moments of her life.

“All the kids were hysterically crying and heartbroken that this person that they spent three months with — learning with, playing with at recess, dancing with in dance club — wasn’t here anymore.They couldn’t accept it,” she said.

Another one of Nikol’s teachers, Aziah Siid, said this was her first year at Success Academy after transferring in from a public school.But despite the big change for the young student, she managed to thrive in the new environment.

“She truly was the definition of flourishing where she w...