Perhaps you have seen her twirling flags as part of the Red Raider Marching Band’s color guard. You may have even seen her on campus advocating diversity or simply working hard in one of your classes, striving to succeed in everything she does. Either way, Keysla Rodriguez is a student to keep an eye on in the future.

Rodriguez chose Shippensburg University because it is the only school that she could truly envision herself attending. “I could actually imagine myself here,” she said. “The other schools I was accepted to were just there, while SU was the only place I could actually see myself fitting into.”

Rodriguez is a criminal justice major, who has her eyes on either a social work or sociology minor. She hopes to one day use her skills and degree to become a victim’s advocate.

Rodriguez always keeps bettering herself personally, academically and professionally in mind. When she first came to Shippensburg University, she joined the color guard because it was the one thing she knew, with certainty, that she was good at and would enjoy doing. She has been in band since her sophomore year of high school.

Perhaps more in line with her future career goals is the work she puts in at the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs (MSA). It is there that she has found a voice among the many students at Shippensburg University. As a student at MSA, she works to spread awareness and diversity throughout the campus and community. This is particularly important to her due to her Dominican ethnic background.

Rodriguez initially joined MSA merely as a job opportunity in which she would be a student worker. She is not just a student worker, however. She is also involved in numerous student clubs and organizations, such as the Latino Student Organization, the Mutli-Ethnic Student Association and Building Bridges. Between the three groups, she fills important positions of public relations consultant, treasurer and diversity advocate, respectively.

Throughout her time at MSA, she has learned important lessons that benefit her, professionally, and in her personal life, in general. She has learned valuable leadership skills, including being confident in herself and being vocal to get her views across.

The students and staff at MSA have also become her family away from home. “I realized that there are always people going through the same thing as me.”

Her experience at Shippensburg University has not been easy by any means. Because she is so involved on campus and is majoring in a fairly difficult program, she does not have much time for herself.

“A typical day for me is wake up, go to my classes, go to band practice, attend meetings for all the clubs I’m in and do homework,” she said. “And maybe I’ll get some sleep afterwards.”

The hardest part, however, is getting everything done to her standards, which are to be as good as possible in everything she does. She never gives up on this mission and always strives to be the best in everything she does.

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