Chris Banyas
Life Editor
For most international students who come to study at Idaho State University, it is often their first time not only outside of their native country but in the U.S. as well.
This is not the case for Rogelio Lenin Peña Rodriguez, a native of Juarez, Mexico, who is currently studying marketing at ISU.
Juarez lies within the Mexican state of Chihuahua, the largest state in the country, directly across the border from El Paso, Texas, where Rodriguez has visited many times.
“It’s interesting being born in Juarez because I had the opportunity to go to El Paso and to know about the states,” said Rodriguez. “It was very interesting. I think that it’s great because I’m connected to both. I know Mexico and I know the United States.”
Rodriguez’s mother works as a kindergarten teacher, helping students to learn English while his father provides industrial materials, such as bronze and other metals, to various industries within Mexico.
A young Rodriguez, after watching a certain Harrison Ford film, decided that he wanted to become an actor.
“Indiana Jones. The actor of Indiana Jones,” said Rodriguez.
He cited his favorite of the series as “Raiders of the Lost Ark”, or, “the first one, the one with the rock.”
Following his dream, Rodriguez was able to participate in theater productions in Mexico.
“I’ve been able to do musical theater over there in the biggest theater of the city,” said Rodriguez. “I actually got into the biggest [theater] company in the city, we’re not used to the theater but that company is the strongest one.”
Hip-Yes was the name of the theater company which Rodriguez participated in. He worked as a dancer in musicals including productions of “Grease,” as well as original Spanish works.
The idea of having adventures and travelling to faraway places captured his imagination.
Since then, he still has acting aspirations but is thinking of going into business like his father before him.
Rodriguez is visiting ISU, but is based at his home college of Juarez City University, or Universidad Autónoma Benito Juárez de Oaxaca.
“I’m studying over there, and I just came for one semester,” said Rodriguez. “I’m studying business administration over there, but my college there, they don’t have the career of marketing, so when I came and I saw that there were a lot of areas of marketing I was like, ‘I will focus over there.’”
Juarez has a very similar climate to the Pocatello area, as both are considered desert regions. Both areas share similar time zones as well, something that Rodrizuez appreciates, along with the slower pace of a small town as compared to a big city.
“Everything is relaxed, I really like it. I like the mountains, I like the outdoors,” said Rodriguez.
Much the same as the weather and topography, Rodriguez’s home university is very similar to ISU, with a few exceptions.
“We don’t have dorm rooms. Everyone lives in their houses,” said Rodriguez. “Over there we have different departments. For example, if you want to go into the business careers, you have your own department in one part of the city and if you want to go to the engineering side, they have their own building, about 20 minutes apart.”
Rodriguez came to study at ISU though the exchange program offered at his university, which only gave him two options.
“They give us options, so I wanted to come to the United States. The two options were New Mexico or ISU,” said Rodriguez. “New Mexico is closer, but it’s like I’m not leaving.”
While being already familiar with many aspects of the U.S., Rodriguez does miss things about Mexico.
“The food and the candies. I like spicy candies and over here you don’t have them, like Pulparindos,” said Rodriguez. “I went to a Mexican restaurant from here, and [the enchiladas] were delicious, but they were not the same. We make the enchiladas with only cheese and you can put vegetables if you want, and here they had meat on the enchilada.”
