[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 157 (Wednesday, September 28, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E987]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         HONORING NESTOR RODRIGUEZ FOR HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH

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                            HON. DARREN SOTO

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 28, 2022

  Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, Nestor Rodriguez was born in 1970 in 
Manhattan, New York. After his birth, his family relocated to Puerto 
Rico where he lived until the age of 18.
  In 1988, he joined the U.S. Army and served as an infantryman until 
May of 1992. He then moved to Miami to pursue his education. He joined 
the Florida Army National Guard and served as an active guard reserve 
from 1992 to 2012. During this time, he participated in many hurricane 
and disaster relief efforts including for Hurricane Andrew in 1992. In 
1999, he and his family relocated to Orlando where he finished his 
active-duty career with the Florida National Guard.
  Then, he was deployed to Iraq from 2003 to 2004 where he served as an 
infantry squad leader in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and 
Operation Enduring Freedom. Upon his return from Iraq, he continued to 
pursue his education while still serving the State of Florida Army 
National Guard and raising three children with his wife Elizabeth. In 
2005, his unit was assigned to do hurricane relief duties during 
Hurricane Charlie, which hit Osceola and Orange Counties hard.
  In July of 2012, Mr. Rodriguez began a new chapter in his life by 
becoming an Orlando VA employee where he started his career as a clerk, 
then a program support assistant, then a provider outreach coordinator. 
Currently, he is the veteran outreach coordinator and minority veteran 
program coordinator. In 2013, he graduated with a bachelor's degree in 
business administration with a minor in management from Columbia 
College of Missouri's Orlando campus. In 2015, he graduated with a 
master's degree in pastoral psychology from Professional Christian 
University in Kissimmee.
  To date, he is still serving the veteran community by providing 
resources to the veteran population.

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