Born in Lisbon, Portugal, to a Madeiran mother and Mozambican father, Rodrigo grew up in Liberia, West Africa - until evacuated to the United States with his older sister because of what became one of the longest and most devastating civil wars in African history. He settled in Daytona Beach and graduated from Father Lopez High School, where dedicated teachers and team sports reinforced many of the life lessons learned at home.

Rodrigo became the first college graduate in his family when he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Central Florida in 2006. His passion for justice led him to Barry University School of Law, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude in the top 3% of a class of over 250 students. While earning his J.D., he received Book Awards in Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, Federal Jurisdiction, Advanced Appellate Advocacy, and Legal Writing - while leading the Moot Court Board as Chief Justice and serving as Lead Articles Editor of the Barry Law Review.

Just before graduating, Rodrigo accepted a presidential commission to serve in the United States Air Force Judge Advocate General's Corps. The Air Force granted him a rare two-year deferral to clerk for the Honorable Charles E. "Chip" Erdmann on the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces - the supreme court of the military justice system.

In 2023, he returned home to Central Florida - to his family, his community, and the work he was meant to do. He came back to marry his best friend, start a family, and fight for the people around him. His devotion to service has never stopped. It just changed uniforms.