RIVERSIDE (California) PRESS-ENTERPRISE

January 16, 2007

Sowing Fields of Hope

Student captures art contest, plans career

By SANDRA BALTAZAR MARTÍNEZ
The Press-Enterprise

COACHELLA - Ramon Rodriguez never has worked the Coachella Valley agricultural fields that his parents toil in. Instead, he's in school.

The 17-year-old Coachella Valley High School senior is a migrant education program student who says his No. 1 priority is education and art. His artistic talents won him first-place recognition by a committee organizing the 28th annual State Migrant Parent Conference in Los Angeles in March.

Rodriguez is the second logo winner the high school has had in the past four years.

"I drew it just because I enjoy drawing," said Rodriguez. "I never thought I would win."

The black-and-white pencil drawing depicts rows of lettuce on one side, a university campus on the other and a graduate in a cap and gown in the middle. This year's conference theme is De los campos de cosecha a los campos universitarios , or "From harvesting fields to university campuses."

The fields of lettuce that Rodriguez drew represent not only the theme but are also a reminder of where his parents work.

"I don't know what a harvesting field looks like; I just see them when I ride the school bus," Rodriguez said. "I had to take a lettuce out of the refrigerator and put it on the table in front of me, because I didn't know what it was really like."

His parents, Teodora and Andres Rodriguez, motivate him to study and avoid the harsh labor, said Rodriguez, who has a 3.5 GPA.

"I have no intentions of leaving school," said Rodriguez, who also hopes to become a mechanical engineer and is waiting for responses from such universities as Cal State San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State Northridge. "I see the efforts my parents make so we move forward. They've told me that any career is good, except the fields."

In November, parents associated with the state Department of Education's Migrant Education Program judged eight entrees from schools across California, said Prekash Chand, staff services analyst with the department's Migrant, Indian, International Education Office in Sacramento.

Socorro Ceja, migrant resource teacher at Coachella Valley High said she is not surprised by Rodriguez's success in the logo contest.

"Everyone I talk to, they always have good things to say," said Ceja. "Especially his art teachers."

Rodriguez learned of competition the week of the deadline and had only three days to complete the sketch, Ceja said.

"He's very dedicated, very determined," Ceja said.

Rodriguez immigrated to the Coachella Valley five years ago from Mexico with his family.

Coming to the United States and starting school without any knowledge of the English language was not easy. He started seventh grade scared, he recalled.

"Now I understand the language," Rodriguez said. "I don't feel scared anymore when I need to speak with a person. Now I can communicate."