On June 18, Francisco Rodriguez walked up on Reser Stadium’s stage and claimed his diploma declaring him Dr. Rodriguez. “I’m still floating!” says Francisco. “We caravanned up to graduation from the Bay area, telling old family stories the whole way. When I received my diploma my whole family, my aunts and parents and wife and kids and sisters were cheering, crying, and jumping up and down.

“My family had its roots in rural Jalisco, Mexico. My Dad came here in the 1950s and worked for 35 years in a cannery. My Mom worked for 33 years in an industrial laundromat and never missed a day of work. They believed in the American dream and had high expectations for us kids.”

Francisco, president of Cosumnes River College near Sacramento, CA, earned his doctorate in the College of Education’s Community College Leadership Program, balancing monthly meetings in Oregon with his cohort with his daily work and family life. “Even though I live and work in northern California, OSU’s Community College Leadership Program attracted me because the curriculum is so relevant, the faculty is outstanding, the cohort experience is phenomenal, and my mentor, Bob Franks, was an OSU alum.”

Feeling more motivated than ever before as a community college president, Francisco says, “My emotions, heart, and intellect are all aligned with community college work. It’s egalitarian. We select the top 100% of graduating classes.” He continues, “At Cosumnes, we have exceptional faculty. We all take our role as mentors of future leaders very seriously. As my parents taught me, treating everyone with care is most important. Relationships are the key.”