CAMP Provides Beacon Of Hope For Migrant Students And Their Families

When Doris Pichs arrived in the United States from Peru 26 years ago, she had one goal—to create a better future for her family. 

Pichs used her experience in agriculture to support her daughters—Selin and Sarimar. 

But when arthritis forced her to transition to house cleaning two decades ago, her dream was threatened. Pichs’ new profession didn’t pay enough to finance her daughters’ college education.

However, the family regained hope in 2017 after Selin heard a presentation at South Dade Senior High School about the College Assistance Migrant Program. Barbara Dalberry, who has served as the CAMP director at Homestead Campus since 2018, presented the program as an opportunity to break the cycle of poverty. 

“When she said that, it made me realize that I can get an education. That there’s potentially more out there for me,” Selin said. “My future looked a little brighter than what I had thought.”

CAMP, a federally-funded nationwide program founded in 1967, supports students from farmworker families by offering free tuition, book stipends, advising, tutoring, cultural field trips and workshops for one year. 

The program was inspired by the farmworker rights movement led by Cesar Chavez and was developed by the Office of Economic Opportunity during the Lyndon B. Johnson administration’s War on Poverty. 

Homestead Campus is one of only two educational institutions in the state offering the program—the University of South Florida is the other—thanks to a five-year $2.3 million grant. 

In addition to an education, the funding allows the campus to give students perks that include breakfast, bus passes, a $100 monthly gas card and study space that features desktop computers, office space and a lounge for students to eat. 

Participants meet with a mentor once a week to discuss academics and personal development. 

Tantalized by the program’s possibilities, Selin completed her CAMP application with Dalberry’s assistance. 

“Something [my mom] instilled in me was ‘nevertheless we persist’ and that showed me to never give up,” Selin said. “I went into this not for myself, but for my family.”

Selin was one of 40 Homestead Campus students accepted into CAMP in 2018. The following year she was selected for a summer-long study abroad program at Universitas Airlangga in Indonesia, a project that aims to promote cultural diversity. 

“The CAMP program was a gateway for me to blossom,” Selin said. “If I was failing or nervous, I had a shoulder to lean on.”

Four years later, Selin has earned an associate’s degree in international relations from MDC and a bachelor’s degree in global studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Since August, she has worked as a constituent services coordinator for Luisa Santos, an MDC alumna, who represents District 9 on the Miami-Dade School Board. 

Selin’s case is not unique. During its five years at MDC, the program has helped about 200 students. 

Steven Olvera is another one of those students. When he graduated from South Dade Senior High School in 2019 with a 2.9 grade point average, academics weren’t a priority.

But after learning about CAMP, he applied and was accepted. Within months, Olvera had devoted himself to school and was sharpening his leadership skills. 

He served as a member of Phi Beta Lambda and treasurer for the Student Government Association at Homestead Campus, feats that earned him a Region 4 Leadership Award from the Florida College System Activities Association. 

“I just had a great time there,” said Olvera, who is now pursuing a bachelor’s degree in finance at Florida International University. “It felt like I had a family.”

In February, Olvera landed a wealth management internship at Morgan Stanley—one of the world’s largest financial services companies. Next August, he will transition into a full-time financial advisor role with the company. 

To qualify for CAMP, students must be eligible for federal student aid and be a United States citizen or permanent resident seeking a first-time degree at MDC. 

They must be a current or former participant in a public school migrant education program, be enrolled in a farmworker workforce program or have a family member working in agriculture.

Applications for the program reopen on Jan. 1, 2023. 

“MDC is all about how you end, not how you start,” Dalberry said. “We can help these students find their place in college and help their families by breaking the generational cycle of low educational attainment.”

For more information about CAMP, contact Barbara Dalberry at (305) 237-5083 or bdalberr@mdc.edu.

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