Migrant workers follow the harvest to find jobs. One student is also hoping her studies will yield a bright future. This is her story.
I never imagined my parents having breakfast on the floor with dirt and little bugs crawling everywhere. I was shocked. The first time I went to work with them I said, 'You guys work in these conditions?' But you learn to go with it.
I was very afraid of you going to college because I had no idea what you were up against. But I knew that you were intelligent and that you could overcome anything. The conferences and workshops helped me let go. They encouraged me to let you fly on your own.
- Maria Ayala, Guadalupe's mother
When I go home, I think to myself: See, this is why you stay up late and do good on your exams. So you don't end up here. That's what I tell myself when I'm working there.
I am proud because you are my first one, and now your sisters will follow in your footsteps.
-Maria
Special thanks to Rafael Topete and the Ayala family.
For more information, visit CSULB's College Assistance Migrant Program.