I come from a family of immigrants that made their way to California from Mexico. Both of my parents were born and raised in Mexico, my dad from Chupicuaro and my mom from Durango. My parents worked in agriculture as kids picking different types of produce in California. My mom and dad both obtained high school diplomas and graduated from a trade school college.
The drive my parents put in me set the tone for who I am today. One life-changing event that drove me into agriculture was when my brother-in-law passed away. He enjoyed working on his family ranch; he did everything from ground prep to harvesting. He was a core role model for me—I’ll never forget the time he told me “farming is what I love, it’s a way of life that can’t be explained. What more can you want than to be outdoors and grow fresh produce that feeds the world?” This has stuck with me throughout my life. I enjoy every moment of my job as Harvest Commodity Manager of Specialty Crops with Ocean Mist; I encounter new scenarios every day. As my brother-in-law once told me, “There is always something new to learn. If you are not learning something new then you’re doing something wrong.”
