While Rodriguez was still in high school, sculptor John Ahearn attended a school portrait exhibit and took notice of Rodriguez's realist oil paintings of subway passengers. Ahearn then asked Rodriguez to be a subject for his own sculpted portrait.[1] The resultant work, two plaster busts of Rodriguez called The Rodriguez Twins, was a finalist for the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition and was displayed at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. in 2016.[5] Rodriguez attended the opening gala at the Gallery in place of Ahearn.[4]