I am Cristian Rodriguez. We are an active military family and we are grateful to call Hawai’i home… for now. Who knows where my dad will take us next.
I am commonly referred to as Mr. Aloha at school because well… I can’t help but greet everyone with a simple hello and big smile every day; From the crosswalk guard on duty, to the gardeners, bus drivers, and even the babies in their strollers, they all get a greeting from me even when my mom is rushing me to get to class. Being silly for the sake of making people laugh and dancing is a favorite daily pastime!
I am mostly nonverbal but thanks to my parents, they’ve equipped me with understanding English, Spanish and Sign language. I really do try. I always find a way to communicate with the world around me and the world seems to handle me with care and open arms. I guess it’s working. My little sister helps me a lot with that. Luna is pretty great.
I am over the moon with excitement when my parents tell me I am ready to go surfing with the experts! This is an opportunity I wouldn’t have otherwise. It was a scary experience the first time, but I quickly learned I was in perfect hands with all the awesome volunteers at AccessSurf. Everyone there makes my family truly feel like ohana! We are grateful for programs like AccessSurf. It has been a struggle for my parents to find activities for me to participate in because I have some limitations, but you take my limitations and run with it. I feel like I can do anything! Thanks for
that!
