​​​​Jason Rodriguez felt a great deal of pressure to succeed in college as a first-generation student from a single-parent home. A lifetime of financial struggles motivated him to prepare for a career that will allow him to help support his mother while also being able to help other people. Today, he is an undergraduate majoring in biology at California State University, Monterey Bay and is preparing for graduate school.

Jason works in the California State University, Monterey Bay Academic Skills Achievement Program where he tutors other students. Through his work with the campus chapter of the American Medical Students Association, Jason volunteered at a foot washing clinic for disadvantaged people in Salinas—an experience that greatly impacted his outlook on healthcare.

To pursue his passion for using science to improve the lives of others, Jason plans to pursue a combined MD-PhD program, a goal solidified by his summer research experience at Dartmouth College's School of Medicine.