Israel Rodriguez
Israel volunteered in his younger brother's special education classroom during middle school; he first learned about behavior through the behavioral team his brother with down syndrome received. Learning how to help his brother turned into wanting to help other families who experienced similar challenges; his passion for the field developed. He believed that individuals with disabilities had many abilities; he planned to help by teaching individuals how to develop those skills. In 2009, Israel began working in special education classrooms as a substitute para-educator. He later worked closely with the behavioral team on short assignments in different classrooms. Israel got hired with a behavioral company in 2011, where he started as a behavior technician and held job titles including leadership/support, a behavior specialist (supervisor), and in 2019 he received his BCBA, whereas he describes it started for him. Israel enjoys learning from others and growing in the field. He received his general education from Solano community college, a degree in criminal justice with a focus he initially envisioned a behavioral career in law enforcement. He then decided to continue his education and completed his master's degree in curriculum and instruction from Arizona state university and obtained his Board-Certified Behavioral Analyst Certificate. Israel sees every academic milestone as an accomplishment; the experiences this field has provided him outside of his personal life experiences have been his highlight accomplishments. When he is not graphing or writing reports, he is likely enjoying a motorcycle ride, working on something involving tools, out on a mindful walk/hike, or spending time with family and close friends.