Angel Rodriguez (IDEA College Prep Donna ’14) has big dreams to become a curator for one of the nation’s top museums. As a student at IDEA College Prep Donna, he was inspired by art courses. Specifically, the International Baccalaureate’s higher-level art course, which prepared and exposed him to the rigors of the college-level coursework he now encounters as a student at the Maryland Institute College of Art.

“I received the best possible education in high school, and as a college student I am receiving the best training for the art world,” says Angel.

He attributes part of his success to his IDEA mentor and friend, Ms. Audrey Cisneros. She accompanied Angel and other students on trips to cities like Austin and Houston for National Portfolio Day, an event where prospective college students have the opportunity to meet with college representatives from regionally and NASAD-accredited art, design, and film schools across the nation.

“I got to know the college representatives at all of America’s finest art institutes,” Angel says. “I made my decision to attend the Maryland Institute College of Art because Ms. Cisneros believed in me when very few people did.”

This summer Angel came back to work for IDEA Public Schools because of his sense of connectedness to IDEA. He sweated the small stuff for IDEA’s mission, and helped facilitate IDEA’s Back to School Bash by serving as an intern for the Marketing and Community Engagement Team. There are no limits to what he can achieve because he is a no excuses kind of guy with big dreams.