As a veteran, a first-generation college student, a 资本 alumnus, and a counselor, 安东尼·罗德里格斯的 life is a combination of achieved goals and optimism for the future.
“I’ve come to the conclusion that life is a learning process. I don’t have to define myself by just one thing. I’m always looking for continual growth, no matter what that looks like,罗德里格斯说. “Even when I was younger, I always saw myself working with youth. Teaching seemed very overwhelming, but I found my purpose in counseling.”
Through his work in local schools and as an adaptive behavior specialist at St. 文森特家庭中心, Rodriguez has witnessed firsthand the ability to effect change in someone else’s life through counseling.
“We all like to fix problems, but as counselors, we’re not fixing people. We’re listening and learning how to understand people, working to normalize everybody’s problems and situations,罗德里格斯说. “If we all approached others through a counseling lens and just learned how to listen, we would all be able to cohabitate better. I feel like sometimes we forget that we’re all just human.”
As a first-generation college student, Rodriguez’s education at 资本 had a special meaning for both him and his family.
“我的文凭对我来说意味着一切. I come from the west side of Columbus, on the Hilltop. I have moved all over, but a majority of my life I spent right here in Central Ohio,罗德里格斯说. “I’m the first in my family to attend college. 这是件大事. One thing that my father has always instilled in me is that education is key. 尤其是像我这样的人, 谁来自我的故乡, getting my diploma was such an empowering feeling.”
After graduating high school at age 16, he joined the Army at 17 years old and served for eight years, 包括部署到伊拉克.
“I began my career in the military and thought I was set for the rest of my life. 我没有看到任何其他的路径. College didn’t seem like an option at that time because I didn’t know how. No one in my family went to college, and no one could really help me achieve my goal. My sister was actually planning on going into the military and was working with a recruiter at that time,罗德里格斯说.
“I fell in love with the idea of being in the military. I love meeting new people and experiencing new cultures, which I had the opportunity to do a lot of in different countries. Even now, I’m really able to adapt to any environment due to that experience.”
离开军队后, Rodriguez moved to New York City to attend Berkeley College and earn his undergraduate degree in 业务 Administration. Through an opportunity with AmeriCorps, he worked in the Bronx directly with students in a school. The experience reignited his passion for working with youth and making a difference in their lives.
In 2018, 有了学位, Rodriguez had achieved one of his greatest dreams, and yet he still felt like he hadn’t quite found his purpose yet.
“我搬回了俄亥俄州, 找到一份工作, and a very tiny studio apartment in Franklin Park, 就在首都街那头. I would drive by campus almost every day and felt something drawing me in. However, I always thought it was way out of my range. I honestly never thought I would finish my bachelor’s degree, 更不用说拿到硕士学位了,罗德里格斯说.
Due to COVID-19 in 2020, Rodriguez was laid off and unable to pay his bills. This challenging time led him to apply to 资本’s Master of 教育 in Counselor 教育 program.
“I knew that I had to do something about my life and couldn’t sit around being sad for myself,罗德里格斯说. “I wasn’t raised in a place like Bexley, so at times, it seemed impossible. I thought, why would I even dream about going to a school like this? Now I know that attending 资本 has been the greatest decision I have ever made, 因为我交了一辈子的朋友, networked with other professionals in my field, and learned skills that I would’ve never been able to develop elsewhere.”
Rodriguez graduated from 资本 in 2022 with his M.A.Ed. and is currently enrolled in the doctoral program in 教育al 领导 at the University of Dayton. He recently got his New York counseling license and will be moving in the fall to start working as a school counselor.
“I would say that 资本 will make you feel included no matter where you come from. You are never alone because your peers and faculty will be there to help you through to the finish line,罗德里格斯说. “Everyone has the same goal: to see you succeed.”
To learn more about 资本’s Counselor 教育 program, visit http://www.Capital.edu/academics/majors-and-minors/master-in-counselor-education/.