Today we’d like to introduce you to Marlene Rodriguez.
Hi Marlene, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
This is my story about how I went from working in the Medical Field to the beauty industry. All throughout High School, and even after graduating high school, I aspired to pursue something in the Medical Field. I volunteered with various health organizations here in Houston, and was also Vice President of an organization of my high school Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA). I graduated from MacArthur Senior High School and began to work as a dental assistant. I loved my job but as time went by I began to feel overwhelmed. I was juggling being a full-time dental assistant and a college student. My only time off was during the day which was when I left to go to class, once I was done with my classes I would head back to work. I then decided that I needed a different job, maybe a less demanding one. I was still set on continuing to obtain a career in the medical field so I decided to find something within the medical field so I began to work for a Radiologist in Katy, TX. I was there until I was completely mentally drained. Due to the medical field being such a demanding and intense field everyday was a busy day, even throughout the pandemic we were extremely busy because we had COVID-19 patients coming in to have x-rays taken of their lungs. Since we were constantly busy, we couldn’t afford for anyone to miss work, so getting a day off was extremely hard for my coworkers and I.
Some would lie saying that they were sick in order to take a day or two off, others would say their children were sick or simply make up excuses to be able to miss work without getting in trouble for it. I slowly began to feel depressed and dreaded going to work, because I never took a day off, never lied to my boss about being sick, I just kept attending work. If my family had plans out of town, I would miss out. I also began to see that many physicians and nurses do not truly care about the well being of patients; they choose to work in that field because of money. I began to hate work and was overall unhappy. But in October of 2021 I decided to make a complete turn around. I spoke to my boyfriend about switching careers and he was there to support me through it all, he decided it was best I quit and take a chance. So in October I enrolled at a cosmetology school, full time and as soon as I started class, I fell in love with everything I was learning. My instructor Mrs. López is also someone I thank for the love and eagerness that I have to learn everything about cosmetology. The passion my instructor has for teaching is definitely one you feel she teaches everything with detail, compassion and overall patience. When I began cosmetology school, I thought I was going to love doing nails, but I ended up loving absolutely everything about hair such as hair color, hair cuts, hairstyles, and all about hair products. I thank both my instructor and my boyfriend for my continued success in this field.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Absolutely not, as a woman and a minority that also came from a low-income home, I faced many hardships. Throughout my time in high school I worked at a local Wingstop, and would get off from work at midnight. Upon arriving home, the first thing I would do was shower to get all of the grease and sweat off of me. I then would proceed to finishing up my homework. There were days I would only sleep for two hours because I had to be up by 5AM to get ready for school and not miss my bus. I will never forget the time I was up doing homework and our electricity was cut off. I would spend the next few days staying up late at night doing homework with a flashlight. That was when I realized I needed to be proud of my determination and effort, despite not having anyone else notice my hard work. I always saw myself as a strong person inside and out, but the day my friend Ana committed suicide I realized I couldn’t cope with death, I don’t think anyone can. She was buried on the day of my birthday and I think that was one of the worst things to have ever happened to me laying my friend to rest on my birthday. I decided to take my pain and use it as motivation.
I realized that her death taught me that we never know how much pain someone may be enduring. I speak of her and remind myself that life is extremely short. I remind everyone that they matter, that our feelings are valuable, and that we are capable of reaching our dreams. In 2020 I was involved in yet another horrific event, one where I could have lost my life. This big pickup truck struck me and their muffler flew right through my window missing my head by about an inch. I got first degree burns, and was so severely cut that I needed stitches on my left arm near my elbow. I was devastated, and heartbroken but I reminded myself that I need to maintain a positive perspective. I told myself that God knows why things happen. That’s when I realized who was there for me and the one person who never left my sight throughout these hardships was my boyfriend Cecil. He is the main reason I am in cosmetology school, he’s the stepping stone towards my education. I hope to one day inspire many people and let them know that despite what obstacles and challenges life May present us always keep going, stay humble, help anyone along the road, and most of all inspire and do things with love and kindness.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a soon-to-be licensed cosmetologist specializing as a hairstylist. I enjoy doing Balayage. At school, I am recognized for having the best compliance with safety and regulatory guidelines. And have always been set as a primary example of proper salon hygiene. I think what sets me apart in this industry is that I do not view my classmates or other hairstylists outside of school as a competition. In this industry, since it is predominantly more women, there tends to be more envyness towards one another, gossip, rumors, and not wanting to help one another. I, on the other hand, am completely distant. If I can help a classmate better understand color theory or anyone outside of school, I will 100% do it. There’s more than enough room, especially here in Houston, for everyone to triumph. I try to beat the stigma. Life is bitter when you have the mindset of “I am better than her” it should be “We are BOTH great and amazing”.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I love H-Town, the home of the Houston Rockets and World Series 2017 Champion ASTROS. I love Houston Culture but most of all I love the diversity and the unification you see here in Houston. For example, when Houston was affected by Harvey, everyone came together to help one another. And that should be a prime example of what America is and should be. That we should not care whether this person is that and the other person is this. No, we need to continue to be there for the community, not just in times of crisis. Another primary example was when Houston Native Vanessa Guillen’s case became known, Houston marched downtown as one to support a Houstonian. But one thing I absolutely dislike about Houston is the traffic. Other than that I am proud of Houston, its home to various artist, musicians, one of the best and biggest medical centers, and home to NASA. There is definitely a lot to love about Houston, and a lot to be proud of for being a native Houstonian.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Instagram.com/honeycomb_hairstyle
Image Credits
Marlene Rodriguez
