Delfina Rodriguez hails from Tennessee. She grew up in the Chattanooga area, and later lived and worked near Nashville. She became blind on March 1, 2010 as a result of complications of diabetes.
When the surgeries and treatments failed, Delfina sat in the rocking chair on her parents’ front porch for a while. However, this wasn’t destined to last for a woman who still says that she loves to travel, snow board and would love to bungee-jump off a bridge. Through friends, she eventually learned about the Colorado Center for the Blind and decided that’s where she needed to go.
With the support of friends in the National Federation of the Blind, she got here in the fall of 2012. She graduated in 2013 and after subbing in Home Management that fall, she joined the Home Management team permanently as our third instructor.
Teaching wasn’t new to Delfina. In her working life prior to becoming blind, she was sought out as a trainer. She says she loves to see the transformation that takes place in students as they work in the kitchen.
“It’s exciting to work with a student who comes in afraid of using the gas stove, for example,” she says, “and by the time they graduate they prefer to cook with gas.”
One of the most important things to know about Delfina – and the first thing she’ll reveal when asked about herself – is a passion for antiquing. In particular, she collects colored-glass goblets – all colors, styles and vintages.