YPG welder refuses to allow birth defect to hold him back

As a first-grader, Ruben Rodriguez was teased because he had no right ear, but he did not allow this defect to stop him from pursuing an education.

  Today Rodriguez is a certified welder helping U.S. soldiers to fight the war on terrorism.

  Although Rodriguez hears through one ear, this has not affected his learning and drive to excel, he says. After graduating from Yuma High School, he began to work in his uncle’s welding business. It was at this time that he began to develop a love for the craft.

 “When I saw what could be built in a welding shop, I began to get more involved in learning the skill and looking forward to going back to school and become a certified welder.”

  He decided to enroll in a welding class at Arizona Western College and graduated with a degree as a certified welder.

  “I worked around Yuma in different welding shops and it wasn’t until I came out to YPG that I found my niche. What I do out here is for our soldiers and for the global war on terrorism.”

 Rodriguez said his disability has never caused him to lose out on an employment opportunity. “I’ve never indicated my disability on an application, for I feel it isn’t important. I can hear just about as well as anyone else in my field of work.”

  Rodriguez spends many hours each week at YPG fixing, repairing, replacing and building equipment parts for vehicles used to support men and women in uniform overseas. “I love what I do,” he said with a smile.

  Since he works in a shop with loud machines, tools and equipment, hearing protection has always been a must. “Sometimes, I even double up wearing earmuffs over my expandable earplugs,” he says. “I cherish what I have and I’m very aware of hearing loss.”

   Rodriguez remembers when he was a first-grader, other children made fun of his birth defect. The only thing he could do in response was to cover his right ear, which was not fully developed at the time.

  “At this age, children really don’t understand why the other kid is different, so they make fun of it,” said Rodriguez. “Children don’t know any better at that age.”

  The ear was not his only disability. At 1 years old, he developed asthma. “Since that time, I’ve been on asthma medication each day. I take preventive medication every morning and when needed during the day.”

  Some people might think his disabilities would preclude him from working in a welding shop, but Rodriguez said he does his job “for the love of the skill and the satisfaction of knowing that I also contribute to the global war on terrorism.”

  Although Rodriguez’s job as a welder is a demanding craft that requires intense concentration, he relaxes after leaving the shop each evening. An avid skateboarder, he spends time teaching his 3-year-old son how to skateboard, a sport he’s been involved with since childhood.

  “When I’m with my son, him on his scooter and me on my skateboard, it’s all about him. It’s fun to see him hop off his scooter and hop on my board. Away we go! Life gets no better than this.”

  Rodriguez is also a natural-born graphic artist and is pursuing a photojournalism degree. He is actively involved in helping raise funds for various charities in Yuma.

  “My girlfriend, Jill, and I are always helping raise funds for different birth defect agencies and other charity events. We understand that without the help of volunteers and/or donors, a great deal of assistance would not be available for the community.”

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Yolie Canales is editor of The Outpost, the newspaper of Yuma Proving Ground, from which this story is reprinted.