Meet Melanie Rodriguez | Student at University of Houston

We had the good fortune of connecting with Melanie Rodriguez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Melanie, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Taking risks is how we grow. Without risks, there is no change, no growth, and no opportunity to learn. Rather you stay in the position, unmoving and without progress. One of the biggest risks I took in my life was opting to attend junior college in a different city. At first, the transition was hard, and just as soon as I arrived, I found myself put on academic probation. Nonetheless, it was in college, that for the first time in my academic career, I was finally able to establish a study plan that suited me best. It was where I learned to grow up, take responsibility for my actions, and take the necessary steps to ensure my success.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
The one thing that sets me apart from others is my ability to adapt to whatever obstacles thrown my way. With losing my dad when I was two, my family having to move to Texas from NYC due to financial constraints, and being put on academic probation my first semester of college, I assure you I am no stranger to obstacles in my life. Nonetheless, my ability to adapt has allowed me to always be ready for the unexpected. The obstacles in my life have gotten me to the opportunities I have today. Adaptability has helped me survive an unfamiliar environment and assisted me in turning my GPA from .6 to 3.8 taking me a few steps closer to finally attaining a Bachelor’s Degree and getting me one step closer to my goal of one day being running my own marketing firm.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The first I would recommend is we check out is the Dallas World Aquarium. Hands down, this one of the greatest attraction sites in all of Texas in, my opinion. Where else in Texas can you say you get to experience the South American rainforest? It is one of the best places to visit as you enjoy the wide variety of marine life, exotic birds, and animals. I would then take them to lunch at one of my favorite spots, Gen Korean BBQ House in Carrollton. Here we would get to have a one-of-a-kind dining experience, with tasty Korean barbeque and excellent service. To top it all off, we would then get drinks in Deep Ellum, Texas’ number one hub for music, arts, and culture. With its thriving nightlife, you are always guaranteed a blast when enjoying drinks in Deep Ellum.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
All my life my family has always been my sanctuary and my rock, especially my mom. Throughout my life, my mother has been and continues to be my greatest advocate and cheerleader. My mom has given up everything to raise me and my siblings. My mother has always been determined to give us the best of what she could. From leaving her home country to give her children a better life than what she was raised into, to providing us with a warm, safe, and loving home. There is little my mother will not do for her children. Everything I am today has been shaped by my mother and I hope to, like her, be the same hard-working example for my children.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melanie.rbm/

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/melanie-b-rodriguez

Image Credits
my mom and I when I was 3 and now.