Earned.

Earned 

Ever Rodriguez, born in Denver, was raised in the infamous Swansea neighborhood. His early life was marked by unfortunate hardships, but Ever has never been one to let his circumstances define him. When he was just five years old, Ever moved to Mexico with his mother and sister to live with his father while his mother battled a terminal illness. The transition was challenging to say the least, especially going from mostly speaking English to now just speaking Spanish. Even with the language barrier, Ever no se rajo, he learned quickly, adapting to the new culture and the Spanish language. "At the time, I didn’t know it, but that experience would teach me resilience. It was hard, but it shaped me. It taught me to keep pushing forward, no matter the situation."

After his mother made a full recovery, the family returned to Denver with nothing more than hope and determination. “We came back to the States with literally nothing to our names. It was me, my mom and my little sister, we got here when I was about 10 years old. We came back to that same area in Swansea; That's the hood I rep, he laughs. We grew up in a little trailer park, real literally little with my mom.”  They came back to the same challenging neighborhood, but Ever’s mom—who worked in public schools—instilled in him the value of education, no matter how tough things got." Growing up, my mom always said, 'Your education is the one thing nobody can ever take away from you.' That stuck with me," Ever recalls.

Gifted

Despite the struggles around him, Ever excelled in school, though his environment often pushed him toward negative influences. In an effort to provide a better future for her children, Ever’s mother made the bold decision to move to Aurora, Colorado. There, Ever started to realize his strengths were in his academics. “I was always pretty gifted in math and science. I was 2 years advanced in math and taking community college classes while I was in high school. But that's where for me, I started kind of losing my identity a bit. I had a piece where I really wanted to be successful. Teachers would tell me, ‘Ever you have a bright mind, you should go to college and do this.’ But then I would see the friendships I had, and the folks I hung out with outside of school, and they were a little bit different.  So that's where I kind of had an identity crisis.” 

Ever continued his education while juggling multiple jobs in high school which included working at McDonald’s, Taco Bell, and later an IT job. At times working close to 40 hours while still in school, he felt like he needed to help his family out but also was driven to reach his goals as he saw other kids with cars and material things that he also wanted for himself. But Ever knew that he wanted something more. "I didn’t have the cars or the fancy stuff, but I knew what I wanted. I learned early on that if I wanted something, I had to work for it. Nothing was going to be handed to me."

By his senior year of high school, Ever began to shift his mindset. A teacher saw something in him, something he hadn’t fully realized in himself. This teacher believed that Ever had what it took to go to college, even when Ever doubted it. “My aspirations really weren't to go to college until my senior year. I had one teacher that I really looked up to. He was Puerto Rican, and was an engineer but then turned into a teacher. He told me, ‘Hey, you definitely need to go to school, especially because I know you really want to help your family out. The best way you're going to help your family out is by getting a college degree, that's what is going to open a lot of doors for you.”

After some subtle reminders from his teacher about the approaching deadlines to submit his college applications, he called out of work one day and submitted his applications. He applied to three universities: CU Boulder, Colorado School of Mines, and Colorado State. He got accepted to all 3.CU Boulder, which was his preferred school, didn’t offer him any financial aid. But CSU came through offering him a full ride and Mines wasn’t a top choice. It was a huge leap of faith, but Ever took the opportunity and decided to attend CU Boulder. "My biggest fear was that I wasn’t smart enough to go to college," Ever admits. "When CSU offered me a full ride, it was like a door opened that I didn’t know existed. I actually didn't even get into the school of Engineering at CU-Boulder, I applied to be a civil engineer and initially didn’t get in. But just like with everything in life, things sometimes are a bit more difficult for us. We have to go through more hurdles and challenges. At that age I didn't know anyone. No one was really mentoring me but I took the leap of faith, and went to CU.”

Before even starting in Boulder though, the finances needed to be in order. “I remember it was April, we graduated in May from high school, and I did not have any financial aid. So I paid my 1st visit to CU-Boulder to go to the Financial Aid Office. I came in and was like l am dirt poor. I'm not going to be able to pay for this, but I really want to go here. That's when I found out about the CU Promise Grant. It is a grant that when your family makes less than a certain amount, it pays for your tuition and fees, but doesn’t pay for the dorms. We had to fix all the tax filings for my mom, because my mom really never did her taxes. So that was another big hurdle I had to go through. We finally got them fixed and I got the CU Promise.”

New Horizon

Fortunately for his first year in college, Ever was able to get the CU Promise Grant, which helped cover his tuition, but just not his dorm or living expenses. However, he had his heart set on living in the dorms. He wanted to experience college life the way he’d always imagined it—the way he'd seen it in movies. To make that happen, he took out a loan for the year to help him cover those expenses. That first day on campus was an eye-opener though. He moved into Athens North, one of the more southern dorms at CU, which was technically graduate-level housing. The place had an apartment vibe—two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen—and for Ever, that was a new world entirely. He’d been working since he was 15, so he knew how to cook and manage basic things, but living with four other guys in a shared space? That was something else.

But the real eye-opening experience wasn’t just the living arrangement—it was the people. Ever was the only Hispanic kid everywhere he looked. The first person he met in his room was from Beverly Hills. “Dude,” Ever recalls, “I’m a dirt poor trailer park kid, and you live in a mansion? Kim Kardashian’s your neighbor?! It was surreal. The other guy was from Virginia. Cool guy, sure, but again, coming from a totally different world.” Ever moved to Boulder on his own—he didn’t have parents helping him get settled. His family had to work, so he drove himself there in his truck and moved into the dorms alone, figuring things out as he went. His roommates’ families were there to help them. One of them even took them shopping for furniture, and when Ever tagged along, expecting a trip to Goodwill, he was hit with a harsh reality check. They went to these high-end stores in Boulder, where a couch was worth more than his entire year’s tuition. His roommate’s family spent $10,000 on the whole setup. It was a stark contrast to what Ever knew, and that’s when he realized just how different people's lives could be.

Resilience

That first year was transformative, and not in the ways Ever expected. Back in high school, he could coast by without studying and still get good grades. But at CU, reality hit hard. He got humbled fast. Suddenly, all those things he thought would come easy didn’t. He wasn’t used to the pressure of truly having to study, and it was eye-opening to find himself in a space where hard work actually mattered.

As a big believer in God, he credits his strength to a higher power that guided him through the toughest moments of his life. One particularly challenging moment came during his first physics class at CU Boulder, a giant auditorium with 400 students. The professor showed a graph with midterm grades: an average of 76, the lowest grade at 24, and the highest at 100. As Ever sat there, trying to gauge how he’d done, he couldn’t help but wonder who the dumb one with the 24 was. When his exam came back, he got his answer: it was him. A wave of disbelief washed over him. “Maybe I’m not meant to be here,” he thought. “These kids come from different backgrounds, they know how to study. They come from good schools. Maybe I’m just meant to be a blue-collar worker.”

But that moment, instead of breaking him, fueled his fire. He didn’t give up. Despite the blow to his confidence, he showed his exam to his professor, who bluntly told him to drop the class because he wasn’t going to pass. And Ever, stubborn as ever, thought, Challenge accepted. “I went into survival mode,” he recalls. His instincts kicked in, and he went to work—hard. He poured everything into studying, and by the end of the semester, he’d managed to pass all his classes, including the physics course and a challenging calculus class, both with the lowest passing grade of a C. Those were his only C’s in college, but that was enough to get him to the next chapter.

By the following semester, Ever had figured out how to study properly, found resources, and started getting into the groove of things. He had found a community, a place where he belonged. He got involved in the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), which became a home for him, full of students who, like him, came from low socioeconomic backgrounds. It wasn’t just about academics—it was about a sense of belonging. He met people who were taking the same classes, struggling like him, but together they lifted each other up. That camaraderie helped Ever persevere.

Ever’s journey wasn’t a linear climb, though. His second semester, he had to face the harsh reality again. He needed a 2.7 GPA to get into the School of Engineering. But with the two C’s from his first semester, he had a 2.69 GPA—just 0.01 short of what he needed. The advisor told him that if he didn’t meet the mark, he’d have to choose a different path. But once again, Ever wasn’t ready to give up. He took a summer class and scraped together the money to pay for it, not an easy feat considering his family’s financial situation. “I learned how to study.I started finding all these resources like, I'm going to do this. I'm going to find this. I'm going to be part of the Bold center. I'm going to be part of X,Y, and Z entities and get my groove on.”

That summer class did the trick. He passed, and the next semester he was accepted into the engineering program. It was a bittersweet victory, but Ever wasn’t done yet. Along the way, he joined Tau Psi Omega, a fraternity he helped found with a group of other Latino students. It was a space where he connected with people who understood his struggles and gave him another layer of support. His involvement in both SHPE and Tau Psi Omega was key not just to surviving college, but to thrive in it. Ever took on leadership roles, becoming president of SHPE and Tau Psi Omega, both of which gave him the opportunity to give back to his community.

"I ended up graduating with a 3.7. All because I figured out how to succeed. It wasn’t that I didn’t belong, but rather that I didn’t know the methods to succeed at first. I was ignorant in that sense, but once I got the right education and learned what I needed, I was able to make progress. I like to share this story with my family and kids growing up because it’s important for them to know that they can do it too, even when it feels hard. Growing up in Denver and Aurora, where most people are Black or Hispanic, it was a big adjustment to get to Boulder, where I was one of the few people of color. But joining SHPE, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, gave me a community where I could connect with other kids like me—kids who came from low-income backgrounds. It was a place where I felt understood, which made all the difference."

Opportunity

During his sophomore year, he attended a major national convention in Seattle, Washington, a gathering that brought together about 15,000 Hispanic engineers from across the country. "It was incredible," he recalled. "You had engineers from all these big universities—Stanford, Harvard, MIT, you name it—and even smaller schools were there." The first few days of the convention focused on professional development, with workshops on resumes, LinkedIn, and career-building strategies. Then, the event shifted to a massive career fair, with "about 400 to 500 companies" in attendance, ranging from tech giants like Google and Microsoft to engineering firms looking to recruit minority talent. "A lot of companies are looking for, you know, minority folks, because there are government clauses that require certain diversity percentages," he explained.

At the time, he was uncertain about his future career path. "I started out studying mechanical engineering, thinking I’d work in the oil fields and make a ton of money to buy my mom a house and take care of her," he shared. "That was my goal." But as time went on, he found himself reconsidering his direction. "I grew up around construction, and I realized, why not do something that keeps me connected to my community, while still having a white-collar job?" He wanted to make a real impact, balancing his career with his roots. "I wanted to be in a position of authority, but still be around my people—kick it with the guys and visit the field when I could. I just wanted to help out in my own way."

At the convention in Seattle, he decided to apply to several construction companies. "I had no idea about the companies I was applying to," he said, "but I knew they were construction companies, so I just went for it." He showed up wearing his high school prom tuxedo—"because I couldn’t afford a new suit"—and after speaking with several companies, he was fortunate to land an internship with Hensel Phelps. "I was one of 500 people who applied, so I really didn’t expect much," he laughed. "But one guy, Roman Rios, called me from Texas after the convention. He asked if I was still interested, and I said, ‘Yeah, absolutely.’"

At first, the internship was in question because he was only a sophomore. "The guy in Colorado said I was too young, that they didn’t give internships to sophomores," he recalled. But Roman was persistent. "He called the guy in Colorado, and next thing I knew, he was offering me a chance to go to Dallas, Texas." Without hesitation, he packed up his truck and drove from his hometown to Dallas that summer, just 19 years old. "The company paid for everything—housing, everything—and I was blown away. I grew up in a trailer park, and here I was in a fully furnished apartment in a fancy part of Dallas. I was like, 'What is this?' I was so amazed."

Despite the exciting opportunity, he stayed grounded. "I worked hard that summer, taking on a second job at Home Depot because I didn’t know anyone out there and wanted to make extra money. I couldn’t even go to the bars or clubs because I wasn’t old enough," he said, laughing. "But I was determined to make the most of this opportunity."

That summer, he learned more than just construction. "It opened my eyes to corporate America, how things work, the money, and all the opportunities available. It was a life-changing experience." The next summer, he interned with Hensel Phelps again, and eventually, they offered him a full-time position. "It was crazy," he said, reflecting. "I never expected things to turn out the way they did, but here I am, and it’s been an incredible journey."

He began his career as a field engineer, starting from the bottom. "They call it the 'red hat' phase. You’re the rookie, the new guy who doesn’t know much," he explained. "But I was lucky. I already had two years of experience from college, which helped a lot." From there, he moved on to more challenging projects, including working on a flight training center for United Airlines in Colorado.

He reflected on his journey, sharing, "Yeah, that's a little bit about my work trajectory. Especially now that I'm in a position of management, where I’m helping others, I can really see the value of going to college." Looking back, he noted the challenges and rewards of his path. "When you first graduate, you're making decent money, but it's not the kind of money you could make if you were working a blue-collar job, you know? Some of those guys—electricians, plumbers—they're making six figures by the time they're 18 or 19."

However, he recognized the long-term benefits of his career choice. "It takes a few years, but now, I’m starting to see that exponential growth. The trajectory is not just linear. It’s much faster compared to what other people might experience." He paused, a sense of pride in his voice. "Honestly, it’s been a pleasure. It’s been beautiful to see how things have unfolded, and I’m very honored. Very grateful for the opportunity to go to college—even during the tough times when it felt impossible." There were moments when he questioned his path, but looking back, he found peace in the challenges and growth they brought.

Legend

As his journey unfolds, his focus has shifted beyond personal achievements to the impact he can make on others. "I’m 27 now, and as I get older, it's less about my own goals and more about who I can help. I want to serve others, whether it’s through community service, talking to kids in high schools, giving lectures, or helping the homeless. That’s what fills me up and truly matters to me." His desire to uplift others is at the heart of his mission, not only in his work but in his life.

He also sees a role for his culture in corporate spaces, explaining, "I’ve also tried to push initiatives in corporate America to amplify our culture. Sometimes, we’re seen as something exotic or different, but we’re really no different than anyone else—just with our own unique flavor. It’s beautiful when people can align and coexist together." For him, it's about bridging gaps and challenging perceptions, ensuring that the diversity he embodies is embraced and celebrated.

When asked our infamous question, ‘What do you want the Legend of Ever Rodriguez to be? What do you want to be remembered for? Ever replied with humility, "I want to be remembered as someone who was always there to help, through the good times and the bad. I want people to know that I was proud of my roots and that I was dedicated to transforming lives—helping people discover their true purpose." His commitment to service and his roots is clear in every word. He added, "Every day, I strive to be a better person and find ways to help others grow. At the end of the day, money and success fade, but what people remember is the impact you had on them."

Looking to the future, Ever shared his hopes: "In the future, I’d love to retire early, go back to school, and become a principal to give back to the community I grew up in. I want to transform kids' lives, especially those who might not even have a meal at home, because I was once that kid." His desire to help kids who are struggling is deeply personal: "I stayed after school to care for my siblings, and now, looking back, I just want to help as much as I can and be there for my people." Every part of his journey is rooted in gratitude and a deep desire to give back to the community that raised him.

For students who read Ever’s story, the message is clear: no matter where you come from or the obstacles you face, you have the strength to push through. Resilience is woven into the fabric of our communities, and it’s this resilience that will carry you through even the toughest of times. Education holds immense power—not just for earning a degree, but for creating opportunities to give back, lead, and uplift the community. Ever emphasizes, "Success isn’t just about what you achieve—it’s about what you do for others. I never forget where I came from, and I want to help others get where they want to be." His words remind us that success is not a solo journey, but one that should be shared with those who need a hand to lift them up. 

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