Living Up to the Promise: Cristian Rodriguez

Cristian Rodriguez is on a mission. The 2018 Powers High School graduate wasn’t certain what he wanted to do when he went off to college, but he was full of passion. He had planned to pay for college with the money he made working and was preparing to do that when he learned about the Flint Promise scholarship.  

“I will never forget that day. I remember during my senior year of high school, I got called down with some other students, and we went to the office. I had no idea why,” says Rodriguez. “That’s when they announced that we’d be eligible to be the first students to participate in the Flint Promise. All tuition is free. I remember my jaw just dropped to have an opportunity like that.” 

Being part of the first cohort for the Flint Promise Scholarship, his interaction with his success coach, James Washington, had a deep impact on his college career and really set the program apart.  

“I think having a Success Coach played an instrumental role as I went through college and in making sure I was staying on top of things,” says Rodriguez. “Having that support system definitely had an impact on my time at Mott Community College. Mr. James Washington is a true leader.” 

Rodriguez was inspired by Mr. Washington, but it wasn’t just his success coach who helped the scholar; it was his connection to other members of his cohort as well that helped keep him working hard.  

“While at Mott, I was a student employee at the financial aid department, as was a fellow Flint Promise student,” says Rodriguez. “Having the support of that first cohort definitely made a big difference in navigating everything.” 

While he always planned to attend college, he had already come to terms with having to pay his way through it before he was able to take part in the Flint Promise Scholarship. The scholarship freed him to focus not on making ends meet but on finding a way to meet his ends.  

“Through the Promise, that really alleviated that financial burden. I worked three jobs, which allowed me to save specifically when I transferred to the University of Michigan, and I was totally financially stable, which was nice,” he said.  

Without the financial burden, Rodriguez was able to focus on subjects that he found interesting. He took business, philosophy, sociology, and psychology classes he knew would all translate into whatever he did later in life. That time spent learning helped him home in on the path he wanted his life to take, and he has since been able to focus on that goal.  

What have you been doing since graduation? 

After I graduated, I was able to work part-time at the  Latinx Technology Community Center as a facilitator for their youth leadership academy. Through that role, I was able to facilitate the first college tour in the history of the program. That’s when I realized I had a passion for helping other students and other youth look at post-secondary education.  

 Where else would you like to take your career? 

I was able to apply and get accepted for an AdviseMI College Advisor role through the Michigan College Access Network and then that’s where I currently am at the Lapeer County Education and Technology Center. I’m the first full-time advisor sponsored by the Michigan College Access Network at a CTE Center here in Michigan. It’s been a really great experience, and I like this role in helping students achieve their dreams. I have submitted my application for graduate school for higher education, specifically student affairs. 

What does your current job entail? 

My big focus is one-on-one advising sessions with students, helping them fill out their applications, helping with the financial aid process, and helping with scholarship searches. On a higher level, I schedule college representatives to visit our classrooms and schedule college visits. 

What advice would you give other students who are interested in the Flint Promise Scholarship? 

 I would say 100% take advantage of it. I can’t speak highly enough of it. It definitely changed my life. When I was able to transfer to the University of Michigan, I took a class called Cross-Cultural Business at the Ross School of Business during my senior year. During that class, there was a portion that partnered with the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan, so we got to collaborate with students from Libya and Egypt on a consultation project.  

Through that, we could become alumni of that specific program and receive a certificate. That opened another door for me, and I was able to be accepted into the 2024 Stevens Initiative alumni fellowship program, which is sponsored by the United States State Department. I am one of six young United States professionals, which was a huge honor for me. Having the opportunity to do that fellowship program and having the opportunity to meet and collaborate with people from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) has been a tremendous experience. This Saturday, I leave for Morocco for a week for a workshop being put on for that program. When you talk about Flint Promise and the doors it can open for you, doors you don’t even imagine, I would just encourage students to take full advantage of it. You never know what opportunities it will lead to later in life.