Firefighters show up to support El Dorado student at graduation

High school seniors from all over El Paso have or will be graduating in the following weeks.

It’s a joyous celebration for young adults but for one student it was a bittersweet moment.

High school graduation is where bright-eyed seniors end an old chapter in their life and begin a new one.

Their families —are often there to cheer them on, but for El Dorado High School student Shelby Rodriguez there was someone important missing.

“The person that’s not here is my dad. He passed away due to cancer,” Rodriguez said.

Her father, Rafa Rodriguez was a firefighter for decades.

“I think since before I was born,” Rodriguez said.

And since her father couldn’t be there for his daughter — his fellow firefighters from Station 24 sat in for him.

“He was actually a model firefighter he would always set the example, hard worker and a very caring person,” Sergio Renteria said.

Renteria, a firefighter himself, said firefighting isn’t just a job.

“It’s more like a brotherhood, and we felt that we had to support Shelby and let her know that her dad’s spirit lives on,” Renteria said.

Shelby told ABC-7 she knows her dad is watching from above.

“I think he’s proud of me, that he knew I would get to this point no matter what,” Rodriguez said.