To celebrate Teresa Vazquez's one-year anniversary with SAF, our Grassroots Organizer, she sat down with us to reflect on her journey, favorite memories, and connection to the farmworker justice movement. From first joining SAF as a Solidaridad intern to returning as a staff member, she shares what makes this work meaningful to her and the community she is proud to be part of.
How long have you been working at SAF and where are you from?
I was born and raised in a small town in Western NC called Dobson, but I have been living in Chapel Hill for the most part since I started college at UNC-Chapel Hill in 2019. Given the proximity to Durham, I am grateful to have been working at SAF since September 2025 as the Grassroots Organizer.
What aspect of the organization makes you proud to work here?
After joining SAF as a Solidaridad intern in 2022 as a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill, I credit this experience as further solidifying my interest in community organizing and outreach and directing my professional path towards working in these types of spaces. I am proud to be part of an organization that truly embodies its mission of developing young leaders to recognize different ways in which they can create change. By learning from one another through popular education, many of us find that this network provides a safe space to share our stories and find solidarity with one another to feel less alone among a community that cares about celebrating the labor and dignity of farmworkers.
What is your favorite memory from working here?
One of my favorite memories happened not too long ago. As a tradition to mark the end of our fiscal year, and to celebrate the end of our Into the Fields summer program, SAF hosts its annual End of Summer Celebration. I think this year's event sticks out as one of my favorites because we (as SAF staff) were able to celebrate the end of what was a challenging summer with our loved ones and community.
What is your favorite hobby, activity, or creative outlet?
I have thought a lot about what I contribute to the farmworker justice movement. I have provided personal insights given that I come from a farmworking background, and I have participated in various programs for which my insights of occupational health and safety through the lens of the farmworker population have surfaced. Still, I think self-expression through writing is the way that I have best processed what I have learned within these spaces that serves as a creative outlet to build on the collective recognition of what farmworkers experience.