Jose Armando
Jose Armando
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B.S. Candidate, Biomedical Engineering
From Mexico to Arkansas, and now in Massachusetts starting his career in making a better place through education and knowledge.
Jose Armando lived in Arkansas for 15 years representing his community as he strived in contributing for a better community. It is though his efforts and partnerships with different organizations that made that vision possible, leaving an impact for the generations to come.
Jose Armando Rodriguez Sanchez was born in Veracruz, Mexico, the first of eight of Vanesa Sanchez and Jose Rodriguez. In 2007, the RodriSan family moved to Helena, Arkansas. Jose Armando graduated from Stuttgart High School and is currently attending Tufts University in the Boston area.
JOSE ARMANDO'S FAMILY
At age 18, Jose Armando became the first in his family to attend college in the United States, with an ambition to be in New England. The roadway in making it to this goal was nothing easy as in 2014, his father suffered an accident while riding a four-wheeler in the countryside. This would be the start in a shakey start when they moved to Clarendon, Arkansas.
After weeks of recovery, affecting the family's finances, Jose Armando was dedicated to ensuring that their family was never left behind. He begin by making sure that his siblings were taken well care of and then after that, helped assist his father in his recovery. Did it affect him, academically, yes, but he had support, and did not want to leave everything to his mother.
After years in the legal system, his parents won the case, but winning the case was not an actual win, in fact, they were not represented correctly in the legal system, starting with their attorneys who did more harm than good in some ways. Jose Armando got to see how his family was affected and how others would take advantage of them, starting off with how his employers would make them sign agreements that they do not understand to them being used as pawns in the eyes of the public. From then on, Jose was motivated in helping others, in creating a better community.
Jose Armando and his family moved to Stuttgart, Arkansas in 2019 to have a fresh start in a new place.
Familia Rodriguez Sanchez in Christmas 2021
MARIA INES
His biggest motivator, the little sister, the person who would always be with Jose Armando, Maria Ines. Maria Ines has epilepsy and a learning disability, which Jose always looks after her ever since her diagnosis when she was six months old.
Jose would take Maria to school every single day for the past decade and always responded when something goes on. Through her, Jose learned the importance of advocating for the disability community as he help contribute to Arkansas Children's Hospital, CRIT USA, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and many others. Jose also expanded his advocacy for learning disabilities on college campuses.
"Maria, my sister, my life will always be the one and only Maria Ines. The charming, charismatic, and even the bossy one will make peopls's day by being her. She is unique, and no one will replace her."
Jose Armando, 5 August 2019
Jose Armando (left) and Maria Ines (right) when they were younger
EARLY LIFE
Jose Armando started his life in the United States in Helena, Arkansas, a small town in Eastern Arkansas that borders with the Mississippi River. Jose started with knowing some limited English whenever he first resided in Arkansas. Jose would also visit family members in Clarksdale, Mississippi, which is considered to be his second hometown.
Jose started to go to school in Elisa Wood Elementary School, in Elaine, Arkansas where he assisted there in his pre-kindergarden year.
After that, Jose Armando started attending Marvell-Elaine Elementary School after Elisa Wood Elementary was closed and students were being transferred. Life in Marvell, was not easy, as he was released from speech therapy, but then put with a mentor, Ms. Henderer, a music teacher who also speak Spanish.
Out of all odds, Jose was deemed gifted and he was put into the Gifted and Talented program in his 4th grade year, not making it in 3rd grade. He was guided by Ms. Debbie Young until his 6th grade year in Clarendon High School when he moved there in the middle of his 4th grade year.
Jose Armando graduating from Pre-Kindergarden (2009)
HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION
Jose started his high school education in Clarendon, Arkansas (Clarendon High School) where in his freshman year, he got to serve as Class Secretary and Class Representative to Student Council to which that becomes his first move in being there for the community. Jose launched several initiatives in his year before leaving, including a Green Clarendon and Miss River Rat pageant. Jose was part of Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America, Art Club, and in previous years, he was in the high school band doing trumpet and a linemen in his football team.
Jose in his sophomore year, transferred to Stuttgart High School where he got to be more involved in things like Future Business Leaders of America, DECA, LEO, INTERACT, Art Club, and also Science Club. He got to serve as DECA's Chapter Secretary, where his career with DECA will begin off.
As a junior, Jose became way more active where he ran for state and regional offices, and his presence was more known in Stuttgart. He got to serve in student council as a representative, which was not the best experience for him, but learned a lesson -- to keep going, even if people don't want to work with you. At that same time, the world was experiencing COVID and its uncertainty. The first things he did is ensuring the clubs and activities are still hanging out there, demonstrating progress later on, including the time when he graduates.
His senior year, was a lot with applications to colleges, the amount of work he was getting into, and also his high school life. At the end, Jose managed to graduate sixth in his class out of 110 and broken so many records in Stuttgart. Jose launched an initiative in having extracurricular activities go on, well after he was gone as his pushed in having more officers run for state and district offices and keeping that presence. He also opened another extracurricular focusing in STEM, the Technology Student Association. On the state level, Jose and the rest of his DECA team doubled the amount of chapters in the state and also increased hundreds of new members through his IMPACTO Plan, focusing in rebuilding DECA. Even after leaving, Jose left an impact that can be seen, as they were on the verge of disappearing due to COVID.
"Governor Hutchinson, education is a key component in growing the potential for the state of Arkansas. The government shall invest more to the younger generation so they can contribute to their community. As an education advocate, I believe in the potential for the younger generation, starting in entrepreneurship."
Jose Armando, 14 February 2021
Jose Armando at Harvard University, representing Arkansas DECA at the Power Trip in Boston, Massachusetts (Nov. 2021)
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