FAMILY, SERVICE, CANUTILLO BORDER REGION SHAPED NEW TASB PRESIDENT’S VALUES by Laura Tolley
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As a student at Canutillo High School, Armando Rodriguez traveled to the Houston Rodeo as a member of the FFA program.
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| November 2023 | issuu.com/tasb-org
Photo courtesy of Canutillo ISD
Photo courtesy of TASB President Armando Rodriguez
rmando Rodriguez’s values are rooted in family, education, public service — and Canutillo. As Rodriguez puts it, his story is Canutillo, a small community in El Paso County that values hard work, the opportunities offered through a good education, and close family ties. From an early age, his family instilled in him “a culture of high expectations” that led to him getting a business degree from The University of Texas at El Paso and sparked a desire to serve his community.
TASB President Armando Rodriguez at the 2023 Canutillo High School commencement ceremony.
The heart of his town is Canutillo ISD, which Rodriguez attended and graduated from Canutillo High School, and where he now serves on the school board as vice president. This far West Texas region has had a tremendous impact on him. “I’ve always been influenced by the convergence of cultures that make up the El Paso borderland. Here’s a place where good old American values mix with an unapologetic Mexican culture that gives this community a unique view of the world,” he said. “El Paso is what the rest of Texas will look like in a couple of decades, and because of that, I feel El Paso and Canutillo are at the forefront of what makes Texas work.”