Accidental Advocate
By Camille Cholerton, SPHR
By Camille Cholerton, SPHR
The ability to speak Spanish can open up doors of opportunity professionally and in the most unexpected ways. I call myself an “accidental advocate.” An immigrant myself, I came to the United States at the age of three, never having learned my own native language. In college, I minored in Spanish because I felt it was important to learn another language besides English. That decision opened up opportunities to travel abroad and learn about the 21 different Latin American countries and cultures while fulfilling my duty to learn one other language.
Upon graduation, I found myself looking for a full-time job; the six-month student loan grace period did not seem to last that long after all. I looked for jobs in my field such as Sports Management, but alas, there were no openings for my dream job: Personal Development Coordinator for a major league baseball team with operations in the Caribbean and Latin America. After deciding to look for a position in which I could utilize Spanish, I happened upon an advertisement for a bilingual administrative assistant at East Coast Migrant Head Start Project (ECMHSP). I applied, and behold, I got the job! Little did I know that this humble beginning would open up a career path for becoming an advocate for the migrant farm worker population.
As the company grew outwardly, I grew professionally. I became the first bilingual Human Resource (HR) assistant, was promoted to an HR Specialist, Senior HR Specialist, and subsequently, the Staff Development Manager. In each position, I have been able to work directly with our migrant families. They have shared with me their experiences and their stories of traveling from one state to another, their nomadic livelihoods affected by the weather and crop conditions, following the planting and harvesting of oranges in Florida, moving to North Carolina to pick apples, then going to South Carolina to pick sweet potatoes. In previous experiences, they would arrive at a farm with no housing, forced to find temporary shelter in their vehicles. Sometimes they would be promised housing, but upon their arrival find simple shacks with no heating, no air conditioning nor indoor plumbing, a situation that is generally considered an unfit living condition. With advocacy efforts made by farm workers rights groups and agencies such as ECMSHP, these situations have improved, yet they are still far from ideal. Along with the challenges of finding adequate housing, this transient lifestyle does not create a stable learning environment for these workers’ children.
The existence of ECMHSP and its mission is able to bridge the gap: “ECMHSP is committed to preparing young children for educational success – especially children of migrant and seasonal farm workers – by providing holistic, high quality early childhood services for families in a nurturing, culturally sensitive environment” (http://www.ecmhsp.org/). The services we provide facilitate a stable learning environment, wherever families may move along the eastern seaboard. At the centers, children are away from the dangers of the field and receive education and assistance to develop physically, mentally, socially and emotionally. Children flourish in all learning domains and are prepared to succeed in public schools and beyond.
As a service-based organization, we provide education, health and transportation services, including an active literacy program for families. Parents play an active part in decision-making in the program; therefore we strive to provide opportunities for parents to work with our program as volunteers and employees. Their participation in our policy council influences approvals in the hiring of the staff who work at the learning centers and in administrative offices. When considering potential candidates, the insight these parents share promotes thinking beyond knowledge, skills and abilities to include consideration for compassion and commitment necessary to serve the migrant population. These parents inspire this personal reflection: “If my child were in the program, would this candidate provide a safe, welcoming and culturally sensitive classroom for him/her?” All of this resulted because of the decision to minor in Spanish.
Yes, my unconventional career path has made me an “accidental advocate” for migrant families and children. Think of them when you are in the grocery store picking out your favorite fruits and vegetables; remember the back-breaking work they do from sun up to sundown, in hot and dangerous conditions, to bring produce to your local supermarket. You, too, may become an accidental advocate…
For more information on how you can volunteer and advocate for the plight of the migrant farm worker, please visit:
http://www-cds.aas.duke.edu/saf/
http://www.ecmhsp.org/
http://www.volunteermatch.org/results/org_detail.jsp?orgid=30771
As a service-based organization, we provide education, health and transportation services, including an active literacy program for families. Parents play an active part in decision-making in the program; therefore we strive to provide opportunities for parents to work with our program as volunteers and employees. Their participation in our policy council influences approvals in the hiring of the staff who work at the learning centers and in administrative offices. When considering potential candidates, the insight these parents share promotes thinking beyond knowledge, skills and abilities to include consideration for compassion and commitment necessary to serve the migrant population. These parents inspire this personal reflection: “If my child were in the program, would this candidate provide a safe, welcoming and culturally sensitive classroom for him/her?” All of this resulted because of the decision to minor in Spanish.
Yes, my unconventional career path has made me an “accidental advocate” for migrant families and children. Think of them when you are in the grocery store picking out your favorite fruits and vegetables; remember the back-breaking work they do from sun up to sundown, in hot and dangerous conditions, to bring produce to your local supermarket. You, too, may become an accidental advocate…
For more information on how you can volunteer and advocate for the plight of the migrant farm worker, please visit:
http://www-cds.aas.duke.edu/saf/
http://www.ecmhsp.org/
http://www.volunteermatch.org/results/org_detail.jsp?orgid=30771
