Sara Rodriguez

I came into my college experience 100% sure that I knew exactly the career path that I wanted to take. I started my freshman year in education to become an elementary school teacher but soon started to question if that was the right path for me. This was hard for me to come to terms with, as I had spent many years of my life thinking I would go into teaching. My sophomore year I was able to study abroad in Spain to work on my second major (World Languages and Cultures- Spanish). In having that time to reflect and experience a different culture and worldview, I went back for my junior year and changed my major to Child, Adult and Family Services. Although this meant I had to fit in many classes to my last two years of college, it was definitely the best decision for me. I was able to complete an internship with a small, local non-profit my senior year which further solidified my decision.

After graduating, I worked and traveled with an international non-profit organization based in Denver as part of their education team. I got to work with young adults from all over the world and travel to many different communities and cultures. When Covid hit and our organization shut down, I spent the next few years working for a few different non-profits in Denver and Seattle. Although my career path thus far has not been a straight line, I am so thankful that I took the leap into something new in college. It has helped me to gain many skills, have experiences I would not have otherwise, and build relationships with incredible people.

Outside of work, I love to spend time being active outside and with family and friends. I enjoy hiking, running, biking and making sourdough bread. I just recently moved back to Minnesota after 10 years away so I look forward to exploring this beautiful state as an adult!