A Dream Deserved

:: First in family to attend college

:: 'Somebody reached out to me'

:: Scholarships made it possible

:: The value of a diploma

:: Read entire story

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The value of a diploma
What is a college education worth? “For me,” says Rodriguez, “and someone from my family who has never experienced anything past middle school? It’s huge. It’s a milestone that’s never been accomplished before. It’s a realization that ‘You know what? We’ve done something right.’”

Rodriguez credits his success to a strong work ethic, something he learned from his parents. His dad works for a manufactured home company and his mother for a produce packaging plant.

“My parents are doing work that is hard. A lot of people probably wouldn’t want to do it. But I’ve learned so much from them because they’ve never given up. It didn’t matter what the job was or what time of day it was. They’ve given their all just so that me and my sisters can have food on the table and clothes on our backs. I’ve learned so much from them. I can’t take for granted what’s been given to me. I’ve got to give it my all.”

“I just can’t be thankful enough to everyone who gives money for those scholarships,” says Rodriguez. “It allows the dreams and the goals of people like me, who never even thought of themselves as being able to go to college, to become a reality. It changes the way you look at the world.”