Ashley Rodriguez has always had a natural interest in how things worked and how they are put together. When she was young, she took apart her sister’s blow dryer, trying to see what was in it and how it generated heat. “She wasn’t too happy about it, even when I tried to put it back together,” Rodriguez recalls. “I suppose it’s in my family’s bloodline to turn wrenches with a constant need to fix things.” She comes from a family of mechanics and electricians who work on classic car interiors and sheet metal. “Aviation happened to come across my path through fate, and I’m glad it did. I appreciate the hard work everyone puts into making a plane fly and stay in the sky – to take a step back and see it is truly amazing and I’m happy I have a small part in that accomplishment.”
One of her most influential mentors is Mary Krough. “I sometimes look at her like she is my work mom,” she says. “I admire her work ethic, knowledge, willingness to help anyone and everyone, and she never stops until the job is done.” Coming into this industry, Rodriguez was nervous being a woman in a male-dominated field. “You sometimes get this anxiety, not sure what to do or say without looking incapable. From day one, Mary took me under her wing, showed me tricks and techniques to get the job done, and taught me not to let ego get in the way of doing good work. She has been my mentor for the past five years and I will be very sad to see her retire one day. Until then, I am learning everything I can.” Rodriguez is now a member of Women in Aviation.
Rodriguez served in the Marine Corps for four years. After attending college for general studies, she transferred to Pima Community College’s Aviation Program where she received her Airframe and Powerplant Certification and Associates in Applied Science. She quickly found a job with Bombardier with their Learjet Program. “This has been a learning experience where I have been able to grow and I would eventually like to step out my comfort zone and learn avionics and sheetmetal.”
She spends time mentoring high school students, showing them what the aviation industry has to offer as a career. Not everyone is made for college, she says, but taking a look at vocational schools that focus on jobs that provide an avenue for a career in a short amount of time is something that not many advertise. “I look back and thought college was the only way to go,” Rodriguez notes. “I have given tours of the school I went to and job I work at to help interest others.”
Rodriguez is currently enrolling into Eastern New Mexico University to obtain her Bachelor’s of Applied Arts and Sciences in aviation. “I would like to work my way off the floor and start learning the business side of this industry and see the work behind the scenes,” she says. “Learning never stops.”
