He’s a triple major in physics, computer science and math, he has worked for four different professors in the physics department and he is a talented guitar player. But that’s not all there is to Rodrigo Guzman.
Guzman, 23, grew up in Bolivia and was an exchange student at a California high school for a year when he was 17. After returning to Bolivia to finish high school, Guzman applied to colleges in the United States to study physics.
“Physics is not a very popular major in Bolivia,” Guzman said. “I decided the U.S. was the place to go.”
Guzman was accepted to the University and to Oklahoma State. He admitted that he literally flipped a coin to decide which school to go to. The University of Oregon was the winner.
The University offered Guzman a scholarship through the International Cultural Service Program, which provides a partial tuition waiver. For the scholarship, Guzman had to do 80 hours of cultural service per year, which usually involves going to schools and talking to children.
“ICSP is one of the neatest things I’ve been involved in in years,” Guzman said. “It’s gratifying letting kids know there are other things out of the U.S.”
Despite only being at the University for five years, Guzman’s English is impeccable without a trace of an accent. At first, that’s what Guzman was going for while trying to meet American students in the dorms.
“If you sound normal, people won’t ask you where you’re from from the beginning,” he said.
Now, however, Guzman is jealous of his international friends who still have accents. No one spoke English to him growing up, but his father thought he should learn the language, so he gave Guzman Disney movies and books in English.
Guzman’s grandfather taught him to read at just three years old and had Guzman read things such as an encyclopedia.
“I’ve always been a geek,” Guzman said. “Computers have been in my life since my grandpa bought one when I was six.”
In addition to his early start on learning, Guzman also began playing the guitar when he was 12. One of his several bands was offered a record deal right before he came to the University. Guzman’s band mates were unhappy that he was leaving Bolivia to go to school.
But Guzman continued playing music in the United States. He played at the Woodsman Grill, a restaurant and bar in Springfield, for about eight months with the local Johnny Wilde Band.
After a while Guzman had to stop playing with the band because he had too many jobs and could not afford to go to the bar anymore, he said.
Throughout his years at the University, Guzman has worked for physics professors, either being a teacher’s assistant, helping with labs, helping with research or tutoring.
“At times he had to take 20 or 22 credits a term, plus work three jobs,” said Andres Rutherford, Guzman’s roommate of three years. “It’s kind of insane.”
Dean Livelybrooks, a professor Guzman said he is close with, hired Guzman at the end of his first year to assist with labs.
“Rodrigo is one of those special people that make my life as an overworked physics instructor not only tolerable, but enjoyable,” Livelybrooks said. “He enjoys challenges yet remains steadfastly cheerful all the while. He wears his soul out in the open, for all to see.”
Ray Frey, another professor Guzman has taken classes from and worked for, admires Guzman’s motivation and intelligence.
“I remember that he was always anxious to get to the next topic, to get a bit closer to the full story of physics,” Frey said.
On top of Guzman’s full schedule, he said he has still been able to give people free guitar lessons and knows how to enjoy himself.
In the fall, Guzman will be attending Northwestern University in Chicago for graduate school. After he finishes, he said he would like to become a theoretical physicist, but he said he doesn’t care where he works.
“I wouldn’t mind relocating countries as long as I’m being a physicist,” Guzman said.