Firefighters put their lives in danger when responding to emergency calls, but some even have to make sacrifices to get the job.
Gio Rodriguez, a 22-year-old native Texan, graduated high school and headed to the University of Texas at Austin to study mechanical engineering with one goal in mind: become a firefighter. His plan soon took an unexpected turn.
Rodriguez dropped out of college after he got laid off from the oil rig at which he was working.
“I knew what I had to do,” Rodriguez said. “I need to turn a bad situation into a good one and this was my chance to do what I always wanted to.”
He decided to move to Florida with his parents to reevaluate his plan, which his parents did not support at the time. Soon enough, Rodriguez put his foot down and told his parents he was going to fulfill his dream.
Gio Rodriguez is now halfway through his training and has enjoyed every single bit of it.
“It is hard work,” Rodriguez said. “But it is all gratifying to see all your hard work being put together to save someone’s life.”
Rodriguez has turned his whole life as he got into a relationship with his girlfriend he met at his now home church First Baptist at Weston. He is also completing his training in Broward County and is expected to graduate within the next year to fulfill his lifelong dream.
By Alex Pimentel