Jonathan Rojero was a good student in school, but his family was struggling to cover
the cost of food, bills, clothes, and school supplies. His mother was a single parent
with four children, and they had even been homeless for a while when he was a young
child. He and his older brother wanted to help provide for the family, so when Jonathan
was 14, he dropped out of school to work with his brother at Sonic to bring in extra
money for the family.
Eventually, their family moved back to Odessa where they had relatives and a support
system. Jonathan said he worked at Walmart for a couple of years before he “got his
first major job” at the age of 20 at Kay Jewelers.
Jonathan eventually changed to a job in the plastics industry, where he worked with
his hands and was the lead floor hand managing a crew of workers. He liked working
with his hands and figuring things out. With a broad grin, he said, “It makes my brain
tingle!” He realized that with each type of work that he did, he was increasing his
knowledge.
Once again, Jonathan took on a new challenge – he accepted a position with a local
plumbing company. Each day he could work with his hands and resolve his customers’
problems, but to become a licensed plumber, he would have to get his GED and take
the necessary certification tests.
By this point in his life, Jonathan was engaged, and the couple had a child. His fiancée
had completed her associate degree in Criminal Justice at OC and was pursuing her
Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences Degree in Criminal Justice at the college. He
said, “She kept pushing me to get my GED and my degree … so I enrolled in the GED
class.”
In March 2024, Jonathan also joined the Odessa College family in another capacity.
He is now employed full time as a construction technician in the Odessa College Physical
Plant Department.
He will graduate with his GED diploma this spring and will continue this summer and,
in the fall, taking classes in construction management. He plans to get his associate
degree and then his Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences in Leadership and Management.