![\"Dr.](\"http:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Dr-Jesus-Rodriguez-photo.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n\u201cTSTC was a major turning point in my life,\u201d said Rodriguez. \u201cI really grew up there and began to realize my potential. After each graduation I felt, and knew, I could do more. I didn\u2019t want to stop growing.\u201d<\/p>\n
During his time at TSTC, Rodriguez was actively involved in Student Government Association and served as an intern for the Attorney General\u2019s Office in Austin. It was through these experiences that his love for serving others was sparked.<\/p>\n
\u201cI ultimately knew I wanted to serve my community, but I didn\u2019t know how,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Rodriguez remembers things turning around for him because of what one stranger told him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was sitting in a Starbucks studying for my chemical environmental test and a man I had never met began talking with me and before leaving he told me, \u2018You should be a doctor,\u2019\u201d said Rodriguez. \u201cI\u2019ll never forget that moment. It was a big leap, but it kick-started my medical school research.\u201d<\/p>\n
He attended the University of Texas at Brownsville and pursued a Bachelor of Science in Biology and transitioned to medical school at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston.<\/p>\n
Today, the husband and father of two, is back home and completing his third and last year of residency at Valley Baptist Family Practice Residency Clinic in Harlingen.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything that happened since that day at Starbucks was so surreal,\u201d said Rodriguez. \u201cIt was one door after another opening for me. I\u2019m thankful to God, there\u2019s no other way to explain my experience.\u201d<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, Rodriguez never got the opportunity to share his success with his father. On the day he was accepted to medical school his father was diagnosed with cancer and passed away not too long after.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt times it was difficult for my dad to accept my decisions because I was so far away from home,\u201d said Rodriguez. \u201cBut he tried to be as supportive as he could and now I get to help others.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Bruce Liebert, founder and program director of Valley Baptist Family Practice Residency Clinic said Rodriguez is the future of the Valley.<\/p>\n
\u201cDr. Rodriguez is upbeat, energetic and loves what he does. He has a bright future ahead,\u201d said Liebert. \u201cWe work together every day and I can say he takes what he does seriously and he loves his neighbors, always working hard to give them medical access for a healthy life. If I could clone him I would. We need more guys like him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rodriguez does not know what he wants to do or where he wants to go after his residency is complete, but he does know wherever he ends up practicing he wants it to be in the Valley.<\/p>\n
He currently serves as a mentor for high school students in his hometown. Each summer he arranges job shadowing for them at various medical clinics in the RGV and he hopes to share his knowledge with TSTC students in the near future.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m working right now in becoming a mentor for students from TSTC,\u201d he said. \u201cIf it wasn\u2019t\u2019 for this college I don\u2019t know where I would be. The college and its instructors gave me the foundation I needed to be confident in my abilities and improve my study skills. And here I am, a doctor who aims to serve others and be hope for those who need it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I can do it, they can do it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
(HARLINGEN) – Dr. Jesus Rodriguez is a Rio Grande Valley native who left to follow his dream, but now is back to help the community he calls home. Rodriguez graduated from Harlingen High School South in 2002. He recalls not giving much thought about his grades in high school. In fact, Rodriguez said he never […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1031","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-harlingen"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1031","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1031"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1031\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1033,"href":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1031\/revisions\/1033"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1031"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1031"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1031"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}