Gabriel Rodriguez is a senior football player at JFKMHS. Rodriguez will be attending Penn State, majoring in political science. Throughout his high school career, he has made a bold decision to pursue a different major than he originally intended to.
For Rodriguez, this year has been one to remember with his athletic success and funny stories. Leaving high school will not be easy for him, but he is excited to embrace new beginnings in Pennsylvania.
What about Penn State excited you the most?
Gabriel: Penn State- I’ve always been a fan. My mom went there, and I was just like a die-hard Penn State fan. I went to see the campus and I fell in love with it.
Why did you choose political science as your major?
I was going to do psychology, but then I noticed there was a lot of math, and I’m not good at math. There were a lot of graphs and stats, so I switched to political science, but I’m going to law school after.
What was a highlight of your senior year?
Football season at the beginning of the year… I had a really good time with my friends. My best memory in football was getting my first TFL [tackle for loss].
Another highlight of my senior year was senior night.
In gym class in the pickleball championship, me and Braden Mellage beat Emmanuel Perez-Quijano and Richard Trotman. We blew them out in a pickleball game, and we never looked back- we felt prideful, it was epic.
What’s your favorite local spot to eat this year?
Pinos, of course. I like to get a chicken parm with penne. For dessert, lava cake from Applebee’s. I go to Crumbl Cookie very frequently. I try to manage my weight with [crumbl] because if I just let loose on it, yeah, I think I would look a little differently.
How was senior night?
Senior night- it was fun because after years of playing, I would always see the seniors on senior night and I would always think about when will I be there. Walking out, I was a little nervous, but then the game was awesome. We won, and it was fun.
How does it feel to finally approach the end of your senior year?
It’s kind of nerve-racking. I’m scared to leave, but I’m happy that I’m finally done.
