Student at Universal Technical Institute Plans to Compete in 2020 Olympic Trials for Boxing After Completing His Automotive Education

Alberto Rodrigruez, of Grand Prairie, is fortunate to have found two passions in life – competitive boxing and cars. The 20-year-old boxer focused primarily on boxing throughout high school but quickly realized the downfalls of the competitive sport.

“As a boxer, every time I walk into that ring I go in knowing there’s a chance I might never walk back out, says Rodriguez. “I knew I had to find another passion to pursue as a career because boxing won’t last forever – your body just can’t handle it.”

This realization led Alberto to pursue his lifelong love for cars and enroll in Universal Technical Institute’s (UTI) campus in Irving. UTI is the leading provider of post-secondary education for students seeking careers as professional automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle and marine technicians.

“I’m motivated to do well in life.  Competing in boxing competitions allowed me to experience the thrill of success through hard work and discipline and I’ll take those lessons with me forever. I’ve always loved cars and I knew that once I got my education at UTI, I would be able to work in the automotive industry and do well for the rest of my life,” Alberto says.

By the year 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor projects there will be more than 1.2 million jobs in the automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle and marine industries. To reach that total, the transportation industry will have to fill more than 37,000 technician job openings every year.^[i]

Although he’s currently focusing on his education, Alberto insists he hasn’t packed his boxing gloves away for good just yet. 

Upon graduation from UTI in October 2016, Alberto plans secure a full time job in the transportation industry while simultaneously resuming his boxing training to prepare for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. 

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