NATCHEZ — The future has often been uncertain for Moises Rodriguez, but one thing is sure: He wants to be an American.

Rodriguez has lived in the United States for 13 years, but on Monday, with his family around him, the Trinity Episcopal Day School baseball coach became a citizen of the country that gave him his wife, his children and, now, a new life.

Rodriguez first came to the United States in 2004 when he was invited to play baseball with the Florida Marlins.

He grew up in the sunny valley of San Felipe, Venezuela, playing sports and games with his eight siblings, of which he is the youngest.

He had been to America several times with his parents, Aura and Humberto Rodriguez, but 2004 was the first time he came alone.

When his time with the Marlins came to an end, Rodriguez said he was not sure what would happen next.

The political situation in Venezuela was growing tense, and, he said, he had met the young woman who would eventually become his wife.

So he returned to the United States, this time as an assistant baseball coach at a community college in Iowa.

From there, Rodriguez made his way to Mississippi and Texas and Indiana before finding his way to Natchez.

In Texas, Rodriguez co-founded M&M Sports Agency, which in 2015 broke the record for largest signing bonus in Major League Baseball history when Juan Lopez signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks on an $8.27 million bonus.

Soon after, Rodriguez said he became ready to stop spending time on the road and to spend more time with family.

Rodriguez’s wife, Blair, grew up in Madison. When she became pregnant with their second son, Rodriguez said they decided it was time to move closer to home.

That’s when he met Trinity Headmaster Christina Daugherty who introduced them to Trinity.

“Trinity has been so welcoming for us,” Rodriguez said. “Everybody is more than just another person; they’re family.”

Rodriguez joined the staff at Trinity as a Spanish teacher for eighth through 11th grades and as a baseball coach.

In his classes, Rodriguez said he tries to impress the importance of learning a second language upon his students.

“We are all families of immigrants,” he said. “You never know where you’re going to end up.”

In February, Rodriguez began the process to obtain U.S. citizenship.

He had already been granted temporary residence, but Rodriguez said he wanted to make the move official.

“It makes sense for me,” Rodriguez said. “Why not be a citizen of the country that has given me the opportunity to become whomever I wanted to be?”

Rodriguez said he feels as though he has already begun living his American dream — being on the record books in Major League Baseball, finding his wife and becoming a father to his two sons, Elias and Asher. What more, he said, could he ever want?

“This country will give you the opportunity to succeed,” he said. “You just have to work hard for it.”

Rodriguez said he sees the current controversies surrounding the United States’ border with Mexico and the various Congressional dilemmas surrounding immigration as a symbol of a healthy democracy.

“I know the majority of this country is good people. I know the majority of this country works hard,” Rodriguez said. “But I like the fact that you can actually protest without getting shot or even killed. That’s what happens in my country.”

Rodriguez had been through process of becoming a citizen before with friends and family members — both of his parents and two brothers are also American citizens now — but said his  ceremony was different.

The naturalization was held inside Northwest Jackson IB Middle School, not in a courthouse like his brothers’ ceremonies.

After U.S. Magistrate Linda R. Anderson performed the ceremony, Rodriguez had the opportunity to speak to the crowd that had gathered to witness.

Rodriguez said he cannot remember the exact words he said — he was nervous — but remembers how emotional it was for him.

“We cannot choose where we are born,” he said. “We cannot choose when we are going to die. Those are two things we cannot control. But we can choose where we want to spend the rest of our life. That’s what happened to me.”

The first years of Rodriguez’s time in America were fraught with change, transition and worry, he said.

These next few years, he said, will be calmer.

“We have so many great friends here,” he said. “We don’t want to go anywhere anytime soon.”