Texas Border Business
By Amanda A. Taylor-Uchoa
EDINBURG, Texas – Rebecca Rodriguez, administrative associate for the dean’s office, Robert C. Vackar College of Business and Entrepreneurship on the UTRGV Edinburg Campus, assists everyone within her department, but her favorite part of the job is assisting students. She believes anything is achievable through will and by setting goals.
Rodriguez herself is an achiever, a first-generation college graduate currently working on her MBA with the support of her family, friends and coworkers. Her son also is a UTRGV student, pursuing a degree in criminal justice.
WHAT IS YOUR ROLE AT UTRGV?
My primary role is Dr. Lance Nail’s assistant. I also assist the college administrator, associate deans, department chairs and RCVCOBE students, as needed.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED HERE?
I have been working at UTRGV for two years this September. My experience includes 13 years in higher education, as well as five years in K-12.
DESCRIBE YOUR AVERAGE DAY:
It’s very sporadic, far from routine.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF YOUR JOB?
When I get the opportunity to make the difference in a student’s life – from a simple hello, a wave, or a smile, to asserting that they do belong at UTRGV, to pointing them in the right direction. That’s the reason working here at UTRGV is so rewarding.
DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE MEMORY, OR STORY, ABOUT YOUR TIME HERE?
For the short time I have been here, I have so many. One in particular was when a young man who had questions about his courses commented that “he should not be here at UTRGV.” I was truly shocked to hear that, from him or anyone. He explained the hard times he had gone through, which, in his eyes, spurred him to say that. I told him that, because he was standing there in front of me, he does belong here, and told him he could accomplish anything he set his mind to. It takes will and wanting to accomplish a goal. Now, seeing that young man still walking through our hallways means the world to me.
TELL US SOMETHING MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU
I am pretty much an open book to those around me. I love to travel, have a love of purses, and am a first-generation college graduate now working on my MBA – thanks to the support of my husband and son, and my dear friends and coworkers. I want to be positive reinforcement for my son, Victor, who is a junior here at UTRGV studying criminal justice.
WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE UTRGV COMMUNITY?
I love our university and the relationships I have built here. This is a very unique environment, where you have the opportunity to meet people from all over the world, as well as the ability to not only help our students spread their wings, but also our own, as well.
