[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 129 (Tuesday, August 2, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3859-S3860]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   REMEMBERING RODRIGO ``ROD'' GARCIA

 Mr. PADILLA. Madam President, I rise to celebrate the life and 
mourn the passing of Rodrigo ``Rod'' Garcia, a man who dedicated his 
life to empowering and advocating for the next generation of young 
Latino STEM students and professionals.
  Born in 1943 in Los Angeles, CA, Rod learned early on the importance 
of higher education and public service. After graduating from the 
California State University in Los Angeles with a bachelor's degree of 
science in engineering, he worked for the city of Los Angeles as a 
civil engineer.
  As one of the few Hispanic engineers at the time, Rod saw the need to 
diversify California's booming tech and STEM fields. Beginning in 1973, 
he gathered fellow Hispanic engineers in his own garage to create 
fellowship and determine how to expand opportunities

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for their community. In 1974, the Society of Hispanic Professional 
Engineers, also known as SHPE, was officially founded and incorporated. 
As the founder, Rod had a vision to advance networking and education 
opportunities for other young Latino students and professionals in the 
engineering field. And almost 50 years later, the SHPE has grown to 
include over 13,000 members and 286 chapters nationwide. Through Rod's 
leadership and vision, SHPE has impacted the lives of thousands of 
Latinos, including myself.
  I first met Rod as a young mechanical engineering student at the 
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. As a young Latino from Los 
Angeles, joining SHPE gave me a sense of belonging. Rod always took the 
time to engage with students, hear their unique stories, and encourage 
them to complete a STEM degree. Rod dedicated his life to ensuring that 
fellow Latinos had opportunities and understood the value of a STEM 
degree in the real world.
  Rod left behind an incredible legacy that will continue to live on. 
He will be remembered for his devotion and advocacy and for his ability 
to empower the Latino community. I am eternally grateful for Rod's 
impact on my own life. The American dream endures because of leaders 
like Rod Garcia, who don't shut the door to opportunity as they walk 
through it, but who open it wider for those who come next.
  My wife Angela and I send our deepest condolences and prayers to his 
wife Cynthia Cathy Wong, his children Marlene Tomasina Zamora, Marianne 
Pilar Garcia, and Rodrick Fitzgerald Garcia, and the rest of his family 
and friends.

                          ____________________