Working where you live:
“Being an RA has definitely changed my college career. It’s a lifestyle. It’s made me so much more focused and organized because you don’t have down time. It’s 3 a.m. and you’re still in the hallway talking to your residents. I loved every minute of it!”
Marquette’s impact:
“I’ve become so much more aware — not of the social issues, because I’ve always been aware of the social issues — but how to address them and how I can improve as an organizer and as a leader. It’s really helped me showcase what I can provide to help make a long-lasting impact.”
Advice to freshman:
“Network. Not just with your peers but with faculty and administrators. You’re paying for your education, so one way to take advantage of that is to seek mentors, seek people who will help you develop your skills in the classroom, who will provide accommodations in the long run. You really do need to start thinking about networking early on because you’re going to do that for the rest of your life.”
Inspiring contacts:
During Marquette’s 2006 Mission Week, she met humanitarian Paul Rusesabagina, subject of the film Hotel Rwanda. “I will never forget that,” she says. Staying true to her own advice, she snagged his business card so she could keep in touch.
Evelyn Rodriguez
Evelyn Rodriguez is a city girl. She grew up in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood, and when it was time for college, she knew what she wasn’t looking for.
“I wasn’t looking for a college town experience,” she explains, “because I felt that being in an inner-city environment has a lot more to offer in terms of service, and having that outlet was really important to me.”
Evelyn’s passion for community activism started early — she volunteered for her Chicago alderman as a middle schooler. At Marquette, she juggles a slew of activities on campus and around the community. She spent two years as a resident assistant in Carpenter Tower Hall before leaving to spend a semester in Washington, D.C., as part of Marquette's Les Aspin Center for Government.
“I’m just sort of a go-go-go person. I love being friendly, meeting different people and organizing them,” she explains.
She’s most proud of starting a chapter of Women and Youth Supporting Each Other, a national mentoring program that helped her as a pre-teen in Chicago. She recruited two dozen Marquette women to mentor at-risk middle school girls on the city’s south side.
“It had such a positive impact on my life,” Evelyn says. “The college-aged mentor is really important, especially in that critical time of adolescence.”
She hopes the program lives on after she graduates. “It’s getting outside that Marquette bubble,” she says. “and as an establishment in this city, I think that’s our social responsibility.”
Quick Facts About Marquette
| Identity: | Catholic, Jesuit, private |
| Established: | 1881 |
| Location: | Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| Undergraduate: | 8,048 |
| Postgraduate: | 3,500 |
| Campus: | Urban, 90 acres |
| Athletics: | 14 NCAA Division I teams (Big East) |
| Colors: | Blue and Gold |
