– Alejandra Geronimo, 2022 SAF Intern
Piedmont Health Services
I am the daughter of a single immigrant farmworker mother. A woman who came to the United States from Veracruz, Mexico, seeking the American dream. A woman who dreams of a better life and opportunities for her children. I am a first-generation college student at Valdosta State University in Georgia.
In my childhood, my family moved around a lot in the same area. So, we were used to moving. All my life I grew up around people my age who worked in the fields or whose parents, like mine, are farmworkers. I grew up with the harsh reality of what farmworkers go through as my mother has worked in the fields for over 20 years ever since she immigrated to this country, picking various crops from South Carolina to Florida. She has picked tobacco, cucumber, and sweet potatoes before having children, then picked oranges, zucchini, and cumin seed. She now works in a plant nursery in my home state of Florida.
I would say the main reason for doing this internship with Student Action with Farmworkers is due to my mother’s influence. She has worked her entire life in the fields to provide for our family and is one of the most hardworking and inspiring figures in my life. Therefore, I would like to be able to help farmworkers like her in any way possible.
As I begin this program, I am excited to be a part of the team at Piedmont Health Services. I am eager to learn and gain experience and grow throughout the summer.