Program opens a world of opportunity

For children of seasonal farm laborers, the only travel they may see is moving to the next harvest, continually disrupting their education.

But thanks to a federal program, academically gifted students have the chance to study as they tour historical sites.

The Arizona Migrant Education Program aims to ensure that students of field laborers stay in school and earn their high school diplomas.

"Our main goal is to supply tutoring and any other supplemental services such as the Arizona Path Packets (home study course) they need to graduate and move on to higher education," said Maria Cruz, Yuma Union High School District's Migrant Education Program clerk.

The program, established two decades ago by the U.S. Department of Education, offers qualified applicants the chance to tour sites around the country, where they can experience historical monuments and learn about the democratic processes that provide opportunity for all Americans to succeed.

Ariana Calderon, 15, a Yuma High School sophomore, recently completed the Close-Up project, one of two tour events organized by the Migrant Education Program. Ariana's father works for Dole in its cooler refrigeration units in Arizona and California, where the family occasionally accompanies him.

But this this spring Ariana was one of 12 students from Arizona, and the only one from Yuma High School out of 1,400 eligible students, to attend the Close- Up event in Washington D.C.

Students spent a week visiting national monuments, learning how democratic institutions function. They also met with Rep. Ed Pastor, D-Ariz., and U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

"She's a very bright student and her sister, Julieta, went last year," Cruz said. "Close-Up gives students the chance to open their eyes  to other lifestyles and the variety of opportunities available in other parts of the country."

While in Washington, D.C. ,in mid-June, Ariana visited the Capitol buildings where students had workshops on how a bill becomes a law. She says she "fell in love" with the city and she wants to prepare for a career in politics.

"It was really life changing," Ariana said. "They explained about the Dream Act, which provides money for college, the No Child Left Behind Act and the reason for reforming immigration."

She went on to explain that given the choice of having immigration as a trickle of water or a waterfall, she would want neither. Ariana stressed she does not support open borders but says becoming a documented citizen should not be as difficult as it is now.

To qualify for Migrant Education Program, Ariana has maintained a 3.8 grade-point average, received a letter of recommendation from Yuma High School Principal Steve Pallack and wrote an essay on what it means to be an immigrant, which she noted, requires a lot of sacrifice from family for her to succeed. Yet, she quickly adds, their efforts bring them closer together.

Ariana is also involved with the Young Democratic Club at school and volunteered at the Democratic Party of Yuma headquarters, canvassing voters on behalf of the Obama campaign last fall.

Ariana also participated in the other major event of the Migrant Education Program: Space Camp at NASA's Davidson Center for Space Exploration. She said they taught a lot about manned space flight that she never had the opportunity to learn in school.

Yet since her tour of Washington, Ariana says, she is excited about returning there to become a congressional aide and then eventually attend law school, run for the House of Representatives  - and maybe become the first woman president.

"I'm really grateful for the Migrant Education Program. It gave me a lot of opportunities my parents couldn't take me to. I would recommend that any migrant student talk to their counselor about the program because it can open doors to so many possibilities you don't know about."