APLU Staff Profile: Andréa Rodriguez

Name: Andréa Rodriguez
Department: Office of Urban Initiatives and Coalition of Urban Serving Universities
Title: Assistant Director
Date you joined APLU: September 24, 2018

What motivates you to work in higher education?
As a first-generation high school and college Latinx graduate, higher education is the driving force to help implement change. Through this work, I am able to address barriers that go beyond tuition and advocate for students who are historically underrepresented.

What current APLU project or initiative are you most excited about?
This is tough because there are multiple projects and initiatives I am excited about, so I will highlight two: Frontier Set and workforce issues. Both tie to student success, but the ultimate goal is to collaborate with internal and external partners across multiple institutions to support our at-promise students!

Name one thing you’d like others to understand about APLU.
We are not consultants, we are change-makers.

What is your favorite thing about living in DC?
Free entrance into the museums.

What is one thing on your bucket list?
Dog-sledding under the northern lights

Where is the best place you’ve traveled and why does it stand out?
The Netherlands. The art, culture, and people!

What was the last TV show you couldn’t get enough of?
Mr. Robot

What’s your secret talent?
All things ART! I entered a countywide art competition in the 5th grade and won. Art was and will always be my first love.