Dallas College

Student Experience: Rodolfo (Rudy) Salas

“I’m earning my associate degree because I think it will help me get my foot in the door and move toward my dream career as a firefighter. Although at one time I wanted to be an auto technician, I began to want to be a firefighter about two years ago. 

“I want to help out the community; I have a big heart, and I want to help people out. All of my life, I’ve helped my brother, who has cerebral palsy, and it’s just a way of life for me.  “Alvin Samples helps me out in class; he makes the subject matter exciting, and he’s a really good teacher.

In my Fire Protection classes, I’ve learned a lot about how fire administration works — the chain of command — and it’s really exciting. 

“What would I like to be doing career-wise in five to 10 years? I want to have finished my associate degree, gone to the Fire Academy and be working as a firefighter. Who knows — maybe someday I could even become a fire marshal.”  Rudy Salas has graduated from the Fire Protection Technology program.


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Karen Kenebrew

Karen Kenebrew

Writer and mediator
“The program not only fulfilled my CE requirements but also motivated me to seek postgraduate degrees in alternative dispute resolution/conflict resolution. The instructors have a wealth of experience and are passionate about the industry, which translates well in the classroom and adds to the learning experience.”
Conflict Management
Joyce Jones

Joyce Jones

Assistant Executive Director Dispute Mediation Services
“My experience at community college taught me baby steps, which led to giant steps. Not everybody can succeed at first in a four-year university. My best advice is to stay focused. Anybody can get off track, but try to find your way back. I did.”
Criminal Justice
John Tinsley

John Tinsley

Patrol Officer Rockwall Police Department
“It was a good experience to have officers with experience tell us how it was going to be on the street. I loved my time at the police academy. Sometimes my friends and I joke that if they told us we had to be back at the academy tomorrow, we’d all show up at 8 a.m. and be happy to be there.”
Criminal Justice
Giovanna Salazar

Giovanna Salazar

Dallas College student and hopeful future border patrol officer
“I like that my professors don’t just have academic knowledge but have a working background in all different fields. It brings more interest to our classes and we get to have a much better idea of what we’ll be up against in the future in our careers.”
Criminal Justice
Rudy Salas
Rodolfo (Rudy) Salas
Hopeful future firefighter
Fire Protection Technology
School of Law and Public Service
Updated September 22, 2026