When he’s off duty, United States Army Staff Sgt. Johnny Rodriguez of Santa Clarita volunteers with the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department’s Vital Interventions and Directional Alternatives (VIDA) program. The goal is to help steer non-violent “at-risk” youth away from negative behavior and truancy, while breaking the cycle of criminal behavior.
According to Rodriguez, who has nieces and nephews, he wants to make the world a better place for them. Working with their peers to make them responsible citizens with strong values is something he holds in high regard.
“What we do at VIDA,” Rodriguez said in a recent telephone interview, “is we offer courses — not just to the students, but to the parents — courses on substance abuse, parenting; we have life skill-building courses on how to live your life, we have speakers to talk about the dangers of drunk driving, the dangers of STDs and things of that nature.”
Deputy A. Tirado of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, who’s the Community Partnerships Bureau VIDA deputy of the Santa Clarita site, said Santa Clarita VIDA conducts two 16-week cycles per calendar year, teaching participants between 11 and 17 and a half years old the value of effective decision-making and of taking responsibility for their futures. The program operates out of Oak Hills Elementary School in Stevenson Ranch.
According to the VIDA website, the Sheriff’s Department conceived the program. The department partners with community-based organizations, volunteers, schools and families to serve those who participate. Parents or guardians worried about their kids going down the wrong path are eligible to sign them up for the program.
“It (VIDA) focuses on giving children and families the needed resources to develop positive behaviors and realizing the possibilities for a better future,” Tirado wrote in a message. “Often times, there’s a disconnect between the child and the parent. At times, kids lean more towards negative outlets, because parents are usually busy with work and other important responsibilities to keep the family afloat. I love how the program gets both of them back on track by spending time with each other and learning ways to reconnect by simply talking to each other and being happy.”
Tirado said that he does the program because he feels kids need to be reminded that they matter, and that holding them accountable and to a higher standard often prompts them to change for the better.
That’s also a big reason why Rodriguez volunteers. He said what appealed most to him about the program — and about teaching, in general — is passing on information and legacy.
“For a long time,” Rodriguez said, “I’ve believed in the old Greek proverb: A society grows great when old men plant trees for shade they will never sit under.”
Rodriguez grew up in the San Fernando Valley, though he’s been in Santa Clarita for almost 15 years.
He began his military service in 2006 when he joined the United States Marine Corps. After five years of active duty, he went to college — attending various campuses and receiving a justice administration degree. He then got into teaching a military curriculum at North Valley Military Institute College Preparatory Charter Academy in Sun Valley.
“While I was teaching, I found out about VIDA, as sheriff’s deputies make school visits to catch up on students’ academics,” Rodriguez said. “I basically got to talking to them (the deputies) about my students, and they just so happened to see my Marine Corps tattoo on my right forearm and said, ‘Hey, we usually take Marine Corps veterans to help with mentorship.’”
In March 2018, Rodriguez enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve. Around a year later, he began volunteering for VIDA.
Then, in 2023, he started training soldiers in the psychological operations field at the Fort Irwin U.S. Army base in the Mojave Desert near Barstow. Despite doing that work and being away from the Santa Clarita Valley, Rodriguez still found a way to take part in VIDA.
Rodriguez’s training cycles at Fort Irwin run three weeks at a time, in which case he remains on the base for the entirety of the training. But when he’s off cycle, he gets a couple weekends off. That’s when he comes back to Santa Clarita to offer his services for VIDA.
Tirado, who’s worked with Rodriguez for over two years in the program, applauded him for his dedication and for the countless hours he’s put in with the kids, teaching them the close-order drill — a military drill that focuses on formal movements and formations — physical training, good health habits, discipline and life skills.
“My favorite thing about Rodriguez is his sense of humor and his random quotes he ties in with every activity,” Tirado said. “He is quick-witted and attentive, which makes him entertaining, and it makes the kids want to pay attention, so they don’t miss his humorous comments.”
And while Rodriguez enjoys the work he does with the kids, he especially likes to see the results. He talked about seeing past participants when he’s around town.
“I’ve seen prior students who have gone through the program who are in the grocery store at the cash register or stocking the floor at a local small business,” Rodriguez said. “That gives me a good feeling. It’s really cool whenever someone sees me out in town and they say, ‘Hey, Mr. Rodriguez, I’m working, I’m going to school and doing good. My family is good.’ Yeah, that makes me feel good.”
For more information about VIDA, go to bit.ly/4jEYEat.
Know any unsung heroes or people in the SCV with an interesting life story to tell? Email [email protected].
