Posted on December 4, 2023 by Rebekah Alegria
Moving from Querétaro, Mexico to San Antonio at the age of 10, Adrian Rodriguez grew up with big dreams of becoming a professional soccer player.
Discovering his passion for business in high school, he chose to obtain a B.B.A. in Marketing with a concentration in sports, event and tourism from the UTSA Carlos Alvarez College of Business. Intersecting the two passions in his life, he will graduate from UTSA this fall.
During your time at UTSA, what organizations have you been involved with?
I was part of the Global Business Ambassadors. It gave me my first experience in an organization and I saw what that experience was like. After the COVID-19 pandemic, my friends and I started an organization called Latinos en San Antonio (LATSA) with the goal of bringing together and improving the Latino community not just at UTSA, but in all of San Antonio. It has been a lot of work, but I am proud of what we have done. I started as the director of finance, and I am now the president of this organization. Every semester has been a different challenge, but I am proud of what we have accomplished and am very pleased to see the organization live on past its founders.
Why did you choose to major in marketing?
At first, I was a management major, but I want to start my own business someday, and I believed that marketing is one of the most important, yet overlooked, assets of a business. I hope that in the future my knowledge in marketing will help me create my own successful business.
Do you have any professional work experience or internships you have taken part in?
I have completed two internships during my time at UTSA. My first internship was with Marathon Petroleum Co. I was an intern in the pricing team where we would decide wholesale gas prices every day. My second internship was at FPO Marketing. FPO is a small-to-medium sized marketing firm here in San Antonio that specializes in multicultural audiences. At FPO we handle the advertising and marketing for clients such as Whataburger.
What have been some of your proudest accomplishments at UTSA?
Graduating has to be the most important accomplishment of all, but along the ride I am also very proud to have had a GPA higher than 3.5. That was my goal since the first semester I started. I am also very proud of becoming president of an organization. I also got to study a semester abroad in Germany with the help of UTSA. It truly was a life-changing experience, and I learned so much from my time away.
What is your favorite thing about being a Roadrunner? What will you miss?
My favorite thing about being a Roadrunner is the fact I can get a top-class level of education while still living in a great city like San Antonio, where I grew up with all my friends and family. I think what I will miss the most is being on campus. Whether it’s grabbing a bite to eat at the cafeteria, doing homework on the 4th floor of the library with friends or chilling outside at Sombrilla.
What are your plans upon graduating from UTSA this fall?
My future plan upon graduation is to continue learning. I want to learn as much as possible about marketing while I begin to put some of my knowledge to work at my job. Also, I want to buy a house.
What advice do you have for current business students?
The best advice I could give a business student is to get out and work. It is great to take what you are learning at school and apply it in real life. Get as much experience as possible in as many different areas as possible. Believe in yourself and never back down from a challenge.
Do you have any interesting talents or any fun facts about yourself you'd like to share?
I like to think of myself as a ping-pong pro. I was born on the 4th of July, and I used to be a magician as a little kid.
Final words
First of all, I would like to thank my mom and dad, Arlene Suarez and Gonzalo Rodriguez. I would not be here without them, and I owe a lot of my success to them because they have supported me and my decisions for 22 years. I would also like to thank my sister, Erika Rodriguez, who has always set the example of a great person for me, and I look up to her more than she knows. Thank you to my brother, Gerardo de Alba, who has also always been there for me, at the best and worst. And finally, to my girlfriend, Isabela Arocha, for motivating me to become the best version of myself.
— Rebekah Alegria
