- June 10, 2026
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Caleb Rodriguez grew accustomed to traveling and seeing the country growing up, when his father, Ben, led the family to different locations while serving in the U.S. Navy. Each city brought something new, but one thing Caleb always looked forward to was a trip to whichever theme park was nearby.
"One of the main consistencies was going to theme parks, because in the military, the bases have discounts for on-duty and off-duty members," he said. "I just developed this pure love for understanding how the ride would move effortlessly through the tracks. I would be analyzing every detail of the dark rides."
Now, the graduate of Out-of-Door Academy is finding a way to blend his love of parks and passion for STEM to pursue a career in mechanical engineering, specifically working with roller coasters.
The Rodriguez family recently celebrated Caleb's graduation, which took place May 22 at Grace Community Church. Later this year, he plans to attend the University of Central Florida to pursue his dream career.
"What you want as a parent is to help them grow in whatever they want to do in life," Ben Rodriguez said. "I always say my job is to give them a good education and foster that, then watch them fly."
Caleb has called the Sands Point area of Longboat Key home for the last four years while attending ODA.
He said he appreciated how the school provided him the opportunity to explore a variety of interests, from mathematics to musicals. He put those musical talents to use at the graduation ceremony, singing "Seasons of Love" with his classmates one last time.
Saying farewell to classmates and supportive teachers is always a challenge.
"The best part of the school has to be the faculty," he said. "Every single teacher I've had at ODA has offered some kind of assistance. They obviously teach you, but I've always been able to go in for extra help whenever I needed it, and everyone was super supportive."
Outside the classroom, Caleb said one accomplishment he is proud to remember is when the school's Theatre Thespian Troupe went to the Florida Thespian Festival to perform its one-act show, and the team almost qualified to compete at the national level in only its third year of existence. He also participated in the first year of the school's new e-sports program.
In the classroom, his favorite subjects were math and physics, and he thanked teachers like Ms. Garcia for both challenging and supporting him in his studies. He looks forward to diving into the college curriculum.
One significant appeal to attending UCF is its Society of Themed Entertainment Engineers and Leaders, which brings together students with his same interests in engineering and entertainment.
Moving to several different states while growing up came with its challenges, Caleb said. However, it also taught him how to quickly make new friends.
"I definitely learned the skills I needed to meet new people through that," he said.
Caleb was born in Pensacola to Maritere Rochet and Ben as the middle child of three sons. The eldest, Daniel, is starting medical school soon, and the youngest, Noah, is a rising junior at ODA with an interest in business.
Their father said that, considering he used to visit Longboat Key as a child with his family, it meant a lot to bring his own children to the island they now call home.
Ben said he appreciates that ODA has fostered Caleb's imagination and dynamic way of thinking.
"If he can do something that he loves and have a good time doing it, that's a win for everybody," he said.
Asked what his favorite theme park currently is, Caleb said Universal Epic Universe tops the list. However, there are plenty more he would like to visit in the near future, including Phantasialand in Germany.
Caleb said he looks forward to spreading his wings yet is glad home is still only a few hours away.
