*Note: This article was originally published in Spring 2015, so all information recorded (i.e. ages, dates) is reflective of when the piece was first published.
Name: Kyle RodriguezAge: 22Year: seniorMajor: sustainability and the built environment (undergraduate); urban and regional planning (graduate)Hometown: Tampa, FL
Her Campus: What is your position on campus?Kyle Rodriguez: “My biggest position right now isn’t on campus, but within the community. I’m working with local community leaders to help create a minimum energy efficiency standards ordinance for rental properties in Gainesville. I’m also a member of UF’s Parking and Transportation Committee and Sustainability Committee, Florida Blue Key and an intern for Sustainable UF.”
HC: What is your favorite part of being involved with Florida Blue Key?KR: “I love giving back to the community and school. I’ve been fortunate to have a great life, and I feel that it’s important to help others out as much as possible.”
HC: And the biggest challenge?KR: “I think my biggest challenge has been overcoming self-confidence issues. I haven’t always been the outgoing person that I am today. In elementary and middle school I was picked on a lot, making me rather shy. Since then I’ve created some really great friends that have helped my personality grow.”
HC: What other things are you involved in on campus?KR: “I’m a supervisor at RecSports, which is actually one of my favorite positions I’ve had at UF. I never realized how diverse UF was until I became a supervisor and started working with our club sport teams. There’s literally a sport for everyone, from Kendo to underwater hockey.”
HC: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?KR: “I see myself working for a top urban planning company in either Boston or Atlanta. I plan on continuing my community involvement, so hopefully I’ll be actively engaged in local politics or helping to run a local organization.”
HC: What is your dream job?KR: “If you would have asked me this question two months ago, I would have said lawyer, but I’ve recently found a passion for transportation planning, so working on transportation in any big city would be ideal.”
HC: What are your hobbies?KR: “I love running and finding new trails throughout Gainesville. I’m a big fan of Midtown, but I usually end up spending most of my time at Library West.”
HC: Who is your role model?KR: “My role model is actually my younger sister. I think it’s kind of strange that we both say that we’re each others role models, but we both push each other to accomplish more than what we expected possible.”
HC: What advice would you give to new students?KR: “I can’t stress enough how important networking is. A lot of students think networking is only business related, but it’s not. Don’t be scared to go up to an older student or faculty and introduce yourself. You never know, you might even land yourself an internship or job from it, or even better, a great friend.”
HC: What is your favorite memory at UF so far?KR: “This is a hard question. I think my favorite memories overall would be gamedays. This year they were especially memorable because my sister was on the cheer team. It made gamedays a family event because my parents would always drive up to see her. It definitely solidified us as a Gator family.”