From Service to Success: Veteran Esbaid Rodriguez Turns a Setback Into a New Beginning

When military veterans transition into the civilian workforce, the journey is often marked with both triumphs and challenges. Such was the case with Esbaid Rodriguez, who after leaving military service travelled a rocky road to find long-term civilian employment.

After returning from military service, Rodriguez accepted a high-level leadership position as a director overseeing hospital sterilization. This role carried enormous responsibility, particularly in ensuring patient safety, proper procedures, and compliance with critical standards. Despite his dedication and efforts, proper protocols were not consistently being upheld, along with a lack of leadership support to help address concerns, he ultimately made the difficult decision to resign.

For a veteran with a strong sense of duty, structure, and accountability, this job loss left Esbaid feeling deeply unstable, ultimately triggering his post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). After taking the time to heal, Esbaid reached out to the Employment Development Department (EDD), where he was connected with Robyn Alexander, a Veteran Career Specialist in EDD’s Redding office.

Robyn recognized after their first meeting the resilience behind his story. She provided not just practical career support but also a space for him to share the stress and disappointment of his recent experience. Robyn listened with empathy, validating his struggles, while also helping to shift his focus toward hope and opportunity.

Together, they explored new career directions where his leadership skills and life experiences could shine. The turning point came when a Migrant Seasonal Farmworker outreach position opened at the local EDD office.

Esbaid’s personal commitment to serving communities was a natural fit and with Robyn’s guidance, he revised his application, practiced interviewing, and prepared to share his story in a way that emphasized resilience, capability, and readiness to contribute.

“Working with Robyn, [she] actually cared about helping veterans, which made a world of a difference,” Rodriguez said. “She was there to help through the whole process — never left me feeling abandoned. She deserves to be praised for being a valuable resource to veterans.”

Rodriguez’s story is a powerful reminder that with encouragement and the right tools, veterans can turn setbacks into steppingstones toward a brighter future.