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KALAMAZOO, Mich.— Joana Zuniga, a graduate of ÃÛÌÒÉçÇø Michigan University's child and family development program and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP), is starting her career at Kalamazoo non-profit, El Concilio. As part of her role, Zuniga will be assisting in their bilingual preschool developing the academic, emotional and social skills of students that are needed to be successful in kindergarten and structured learning environments.

A community-focused organization, El Concilio supports Latinx residents in the region with events, programming and through their preschool, Escuelita Nuevo Horizonte. However, Zuniga's first experience was as a volunteer in their after-school program with her sorority, Kappa Delta Chi. 

"I volunteered to tutor fourth graders and I would use this opportunity as a learning experience for myself because I wanted to work with children," explains Zuniga. "I was learning and using my existing knowledge from my classes to then incorporate that into volunteering. Eventually I found my way to connecting with the director and getting a spot in the preschool for my internship."

Experience-driven learning

Through the internship experience she had at Escuelita Nuevo Horizonte, Zuniga has been able to see the developmental growth among the many students she supervises. However, she says the most significant growth she witnessed was with a student who coincidentally started the same day as her.

"We got pretty close, and I would be the only teacher that she talked to," says Zuniga. "Through spending time together, she has outgrown that little spot where she only came and talked to me. She has started connecting and embracing other students and also talking to the other teachers. She is actually going out and trying new things on her own without us directing her to do it."

Zuniga attributes this accomplishment to the child and family science program for teaching her how to foster this type of growth within a student.

"I learned how the child is able to learn how to interact with others and outgrow stuff that they start in the beginning with," explains Zuniga. "Through my program, I was also taught that I had to be in a good emotional and mental state in order to facilitate and see progression among a student."

For those interested in joining the program, she offers this advice: "If you want to learn more about children or families, this is a major you can become a part of and not be tied to only one specific spot. You can also expand and go out on your own because they make sure you are capable in different career paths."

Advocacy for future Latinx students

The important work Zuniga is doing today for El Concilio and Escuelita Nuevo Horizonte amplifies her appreciation of the journey that led her there.

The daughter of migrant blueberry and strawberry farmworkers, the opportunity to attend college was an uncertainty. Outreach from a representative from ÃÛÌÒÉçÇø's College Assistance Migrant Program changed that.

"They were able to help and assist us in ways that we were unable to assist ourselves. It helped us a lot and made it possible to attend ÃÛÌÒÉçÇø," explains Zuniga.

CAMP is an educational program that offers individuals with migrant or seasonal farmworker backgrounds and their dependents a unique opportunity to join an undergraduate program at ÃÛÌÒÉçÇø. Housed within ÃÛÌÒÉçÇø's Multicultural Affairs for Students, the program provides students like Zuniga the best conditions to thrive academically, socially and financially during their first year.

"I wouldn't have graduated without CAMP," says Zuniga.

Being set up for success, Zuniga later joined Latina sorority, Kappa Delta Chi (KD Chi), and ascending to the position of president in ÃÛÌÒÉçÇø's Latino Student Association (LSA).

"LSA is one organization where CAMP students usually go to and I became really close to them with my KD Chi big sister being the president at the time I joined. So because I found it through KD Chi and CAMP, it all came together at once," says Zuniga. "And my big was very inspiring to me and I wanted to follow her footsteps, so I actually went on to becoming president myself." 

Both her leadership and academic success led to a nomination from Dr. Cristóbal Rodríguez, associate provost for equity-centered initiatives in academic affairs, to attend the inaugural First-Generation College Student Day at the White House celebration.

Alongside her classmate, ±·´Ç±ð³¾Ã­ ²Ñé²Ô»å±ð³ú, Zuniga was also given the opportunity to discuss the importance of CAMP with U.S. Sen. Gary Peters and an aide to U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow.

"It really felt like we were being heard," says Zuniga. "CAMP really is a home away from home for students like us, and (Stabenow's aide) understood where we were coming from. It was very heartwarming."

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