R
odrigo Rodriguez Jr. was born December 14, 1985 to the proud parents of Rodrigo Rodriguez, Sr. and Eugenia "Gina" Garcia.

Rod was the youngest of 3 sons. It was apparent to all at a very young age that his path was destined for greatness. By the sixth grade, he excelled through his studies so easily that his parents were no longer needed for assistance. His intelligence partnered with his positive presence drew others to take an interest in him. Ms. Jean Crowder, a teacher from Sacramento High School, along with the MESA program, saw Rod’s potential and began equipping him with the necessary tools to achieve his goals. With the persevering assistance of Ms. Crowder, he began preparation to obtain college scholarships. She supported him and he looked to her as a second mother.

He lived with purpose, set high goals for himself and diligently achieved all he desired. Not only was he highly intelligent, he was kind, gracious, and lovable with a great sense of humor His compassionate nature and heart for giving kept him grounded. He tutored under-privileged youths and those that had been expelled from school. He never forgot where he came from and always gave back to the community. In 2003, he was appointed by Mayor Heather Fargo to the city’s Youth Commission where he served on the committee for 2 years. He was an honor student at Sacramento High School and the Valedictorian of Hiram H. Johnson High School’s graduating class of 2004.

With the guidance of Ms. Crowder, he became the first member of his family to attend college. He was the finalist of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, Schwab Rosenhouse Memorial Scholarship, Ronald McDonald House Charities Grant, MetroPCS Community Scholar Award and the Frank H. & Eva H. Buck Foundation Scholarship. He accepted and became the proud recipient of the prestigious Frank H. & Eva H. Buck Foundation Scholarship. This scholarship earned him full tuition and expenses through the year 2015 or until he obtained his PhD at any college of his choice. Although he was accepted to several highly respected colleges, he chose to attend the University of California Berkeley so he could remain close to family and friends. He commuted to Sacramento every weekend. He tutored students at Hoover Elementary School in Oakland, undergraduates at UC Berkeley, and also worked at the UC Berkeley Student Learning Center. He was also a spokesperson for the Math, Engineering, Science & Liberal Arts (MESL) Honors Academy. Rod had a passion and talent for haircutting which started in his very own backyard. He eagerly looked forward to graduating and opening his own international chain of barbershop/restaurants called, “Rod’s Cuts: Fades’m & Lines’m So Clean.” He will be remembered for his strength, endurance, generosity, love and compassion for others. He touched so many lives in his short stay here on earth. He will truly be missed by all but never forgotten. He will live in our hearts forever.

The Rodriguez and Garcia Family would like to extend their deepest gratitude to the Frank H. & Eva H. Buck Foundation, Ms. Jean Crowder, H. Faye Lawson, and UC Berkeley for making all of Lil Rod’s dreams come true. Without them, none of this would be possible.