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Miami Palmetto High School senior Johaneres (Joey) Rodriguez has already been accepted to five universities but he’s waiting for a few more before making his decision as to where to go to college. His acceptances include Loyola, Lynn University, the University of Arizona, Old Miss, and Penn State. He’s applied to 26 colleges including the University of Central Florida, Florida State University, University of Florida, Florida International University, and the University of Southern California. He plans to double major in International Relations and International Business.
Rodriguez has what colleges are looking for, smarts, good grades and a strong commitment to community service, having earned more than 700 volunteer hours. He’s dedicated a lot of time to Earth SOS Miami, an environmental based club that organizes and conducts beach clean-ups and donates to Lotus House, a women’s shelter.
“They are ecofriendly items,” he says. “That’s what we try to ask for the most on the Amazon Wish list.”
Those items include things like Bamboo toothbrushes, and ecofriendly detergents.
Last spring, he took over the club from the founder who moved on to college. Rodriguez has been stymied on conducting beach clean-ups so far this school year that has halted some park volunteering services while park officials figure out the new rules.
So, they have moved forward with a drive for Lotus House and a pet supply drive for a dog shelter in Ft. Myers Beach that suffered from, the devastation of Hurricane Ian.
“We have also been in contact with the Palmetto Elementary Earth program,” he says.
“They are a Green Apple school. I’ve trying to make Palmetto a Green Apple School.”
Green Apple schools are schools that compost. While the idea to have Palmetto begin to compost have been brought up in the past, it hasn’t happened yet. Rodriguez says he needs to meet with Palmetto’s principal and the activities director and do a presentation about composting.
On Mondays, after school, Rodriguez volunteers for Love for Kicks and Kids, a free soccer program for kids with special needs. The program is based at Three Lakes Park by Tamiami Airport.
“So, they aren’t stuck at home,” he says. “I have a cousin who has autism. He’s had a tough time being home after school. He’s been in the program. It’s very special.”
Rodriguez says the program is open to kids from five to 18. There are approximately 45 students and 40-50 volunteers.
“We buddy up,” he says. “I teach two kids. Not every kid shows up in every practice.”
He became involved when one of his friends told him about the program and he decided to look into it.
“I ended up loving it,” he says.
At school, Rodriguez is a member of the Italian Honor Society.
“We talk about Italian culture,” he says. “We talk and we have field trips, and we go to restaurants or museums that are dedicated to the culture of Italy.”
He’s been a member of Key Club, the National Honor Society and Leo Club. And he’s a member of Yearbook working on staff as a photographer.
“It’s my first year,” he says. “I wish I had done it sooner. I’m the only guy on yearbook. I’m the first one since 2018.”
He’s also a member of the Class of ’23 cabinet.
Rodriguez is the Student Council Community Outreach Chair.
“My team and I handle the food drives that go on in the school, the toy drives, and United Way Week,” he says. “We just had the annual food drive. We had a lot of food given.”
Linda Rodriguez Bernfeld
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