Strawberry Growers Give Sweet Gifts: Scholarships

Strawberries have played a pivotal role in the Yuliana Ramirez's life.

The 20-year-old North Monterey High graduate and daughter of strawberry pickers is now a junior at the University of San Francisco, thanks in part to scholarships from the California Strawberry Commission.

California Strawberry Commission farmers have contributed more than $1 million in financial aid to the children of their workers. The scholarships are given out on an annual basis to students who have at least one parent who has been employed as a strawberry farm worker for the past two consecutive seasons.

The Commission will give out scholarships to more than 118 area students—high school graduates and college students—Thursday in Watsonville. Ramirez will be among the recipients, the fourth year she's received the financial aid.

“I’m just really grateful for the help I’ve received," said Ramirez, who grew up in Castroville and Salinas.

Ramirez is majoring in political science with minors in criminal justice and Spanish. She studied abroad in Spain. After graduating from USF next year, hopes to get a masters degree in criminal justice, possibly at Sacramento State.

She was inspired to pursue a career in criminal justice—maybe become a probation officer—because her brother has been in trouble with the law.

“I’m interested in just working with youth, particularly youth who have just lost the right path," said Ramirez, noting the crime and gang issues where she grew up. “I feel really passionate about helping youth”

The Strawberry Commission scholarship is a huge help in achieving her goals, she said.

“I’m going to the University of San Francisco. It was a really expensive choice," Ramirez said. “My parents are strawberry pickers so unfortunately they can’t contribute as much as they want to my education.”

She learned about the California Strawberry Commission Scholarship as a high school senior.

“I took advantage of all the opportunities that I saw … anybody can do it," Ramirez said.

It was one of about a half-dozen scholarships that helped her fund her education. Unlike many other financial gifts, though, students can reapply for the scholarship annually.

Now in it’s 19th year, the California Strawberry Commission has awarded $1.5 million in educational scholarships to more than 750 children of California strawberry farm workers. They include young people with stories like Catarina Mendez, who came to the U.S. at the age of 14 and grew up in a family with 10 siblings. She is at UC Santa Cruz studying human biology on her way to her dream of becoming a pediatrician.

Ramirez had some straight-forward advice for other students:

“You need to apply…. Get over being lazy and do it. The money is free and it’s there. It’s just a matter of you wanting it.”