College of the Desert’s Basic Firefighter Academy celebrated a historic graduation class this year as Leslie Rodriguez became the first woman in the program’s history selected for a top leadership role within the academy.
Rodriguez was the only female cadet to graduate from this year’s Basic Firefighter Academy, but she made history beyond simply earning her certification. She was chosen as the academy’s class duty officer, a leadership position responsible for helping maintain discipline, uphold standards and support communication between cadets and instructors.
Rodriguez says she never felt separated from her classmates and appreciated being given the same opportunities as everyone else…