Featured Firstie: 1/C Randy Rodriguez

  POSTED ON: Friday, September 16, 2022 10:50 AM by mediarelations@usna.edu

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, today’s Firstie Friday is MIDN 1/C Randy Rodriguez, a platoon commander in 16th Company. A first-generation Mexican American, Rodriguez hails from Atlanta and lived in Guerrero, Mexico, for two years as a child. He’s the first in his family to attend college or to join the military.

Rodriguez is a member of Navy Boxing and volunteers with the Latin American Studies Club to teach English as a second language to members of the Annapolis community.

Before coming to the Academy, Rodriguez enlisted in the Navy with the desire to give back to a country that provided his family so many opportunities. His mother, who immigrated from Mexico in the 1990s, has had the ultimate impact on his desire to serve. “She worked hard to give my siblings and me a better life. She taught me to always chase my dreams, to help others, and to be grateful for the little things.” 

Rodriguez chose to pursue a commission to better represent his community. “As an enlisted Sailor, I rarely encountered Sailors with my background in the officer ranks. I came to the Naval Academy to be the officer I looked for, to lead Sailors and Marines, and to use my prior enlisted experience to mentor others.” In his deployments aboard the USS Ronald Reagan out of Yokosuka, Japan, IC3 (SW/AW) Rodriguez learned the importance of the Navy’s mission and how everyone is critical to mission success. He hopes to use his enlisted experience to inform his leadership skills as an officer.

Rodriguez has two brothers and two sisters and learned the value of hard work and perseverance from his family. His mom always reminds him, “tienes que sufrir para merecer,” which means, you have to work hard to achieve your goals. 

One of his favorite USNA memories is winning the Ice Trials ground fighting tournament as a plebe in 30th Company. Rodriguez looks forward to service assignment for the Class of 2023 this November, where he hopes to find out he will serve in the Navy’s Information Warfare Community upon graduation and commissioning next May!

Category: General Interest, Midshipman