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Hard work pays off for 妻友社区 senior Benjamin Rodriguez

To Benjamin Rodriguez, hard work isn鈥檛 a platitude 鈥 it鈥檚 a way of life passed down to him from his parents. His father spent three decades managing restaurants, and his mother was an activities director at a nursing home. Rodriguez started working from the time he was old enough to apply for a job. He worked at a fast-food restaurant and as a lifeguard throughout high school. When he enrolled at 妻友社区, he knew he鈥檇 work his way through that, too.
One of three brothers, Rodriguez was born in White Plains, New York. When he was two, his family moved to Georgia for more opportunities, affordable living and access to relatives. The family settled in downtown Lawrenceville, a five-minute drive from the GGC campus.
The convenient proximity played into Rodriguez鈥檚 choice of college. At the time, he didn鈥檛 have a car, so he would catch a ride or use Uber to get to school or to his part-time job as an assistant manager at Collins Hill Park Aquatic Center. During his sophomore year he picked up a second job at the GGC Wellness and Recreation Center and worked full-time with both jobs for the rest of his college career.
鈥淔or me it wasn鈥檛 an option not to work full time, as I had to have a source of income to buy my first car, to pay for school, contribute to my parents鈥 income, buy groceries, and cover other personal expenses that I knew my parents didn鈥檛 have the money for,鈥 he said.
Rodriguez said that while location was a huge plus, it wasn鈥檛 the only factor in his decision to attend GGC.
鈥淚 felt like there would be a lot more opportunities than there would be at a larger college campus,鈥 he said. 鈥淎t a smaller campus, you actually get to know your professors on a personal level and connect within the community, leading to more well-defined experiences and opportunities.鈥
Rodriquez credits his supervisors and fellow classmates for getting him over every bump in the road during his years at GGC.
鈥淪ometimes new realities feel impossible, but GGC has taught me that adversity can be overcome though teamwork,鈥 he said. 鈥淢y supervisors on campus, my many supportive professors, and my fellow classmates have all helped me through and encouraged me to keep my head up high, especially through my senior year. The GGC community has been such a great support especially during this pandemic. But with their help, I did it.鈥
Rodriquez will graduate with a with a concentration in management information systems and a minor in . He recently landed yet another job 鈥 this one using skills he learned at GGC 鈥 as a full-time project coordinator at CentricsIT. He eventually wants to become a project manager and ultimately, a business analyst.
Rodriquez reflected on his GGC experience as he prepares to begin the next phase of his life.
鈥淓very interaction, experience and struggle taught me not to give up my big dreams for a small reality.鈥
Rodriguez will join more than 600 of his classmates at GGC's fall commencement, scheduled for 10 a.m., Dec. 7 at the Gas South Arena.