For my first spring break at OSU, I attended a Buck-I-Serv trip to Immokalee, Florida where we helped at Pathways Early Education Center. Immokalee is a city in Florida that many migrant workers come to work as farmers. The families will work long and hard day in the field or packaging factory, where they will have to be there by 6:30 am or earlier till 5 pm. The people there are hard workers and in the past would have to bring their children to the fields with them. 55 years ago, Pathways made a daycare center for children prior to kindergarten to come and learn life skills.
Pathways provides a place for the children to learn skills that will transfer in their success once they are able to get to kindergarten. The center, currently, holds around 125 students with a majority being minority children and have a waitlist of over 400 children with the hopes of expanding as soon as they can. Pathways focuses on the growth of the children, whether it is at meal time when they learn to pass foods and pour milk or if it is during rug time when they do shapes and numbers and many more. The center will even provide tours led by the children, “the Future Leaders”, who brought us around their classrooms, playground, and garden.
The first day of the trip, each of us had found a classroom that we connected to and for me that was the “Orange Fish” classroom which contain 3 year olds. The children there are in the midst of learn their numbers, shapes, and social skills. They are at the age where they are able to talk and on the basis of growing in their education. The children are filled with energy and learn each day to be the best they can be.
During the trip, we were able to learn about Immokalee, Pathways, and the culture surrounding them. On our first day we were able to have a tour of the city and were able to learn right away. There were many interesting facts that were told and allowed me to put my life in perspectives like that many people live in mobile homes there that hold 12 people and pay $2500 a month for the small home. The landlords are exploiting the land; the families are working long hours for not much money and have to pay higher rent to live. We also attended a farmers market that those contained fresh fruits that were farmed in Immokalee and those who sell their goods at the local farmers market must pay $30 a day in order to maintain a stall.
During the trip, I was able to attend an alumni dinner and lunch from OSU alumnus. I was able to hear stories of those who are successful and see how this success has been branched off from attending OSU. I talked to an alumni who partners with Buck-I-Serv and even at the age of 90 continues service in his life. Another alumni is a board of trustees for Pathways and loves coming into the center to interact with the children. These alumnus inspire me to grow and to make sure that as I am getting older that you can always give back.
The trip experience allowed me to be able to understand the opportunities and privilege that I was given even in the small things like learning from my parents the alphabet as a child. I am appreciative to my parents for finding a reliable job that offered me the chance to extend my education. The trip made me want to continue in a life where I can give back, whether in donations or time. The life of service is a happier life where I can make sure that people are able to have the same opportunities as I did and to grow to their fullest potential. I saw these small growth of the children and I fell in love. I cannot wait to see these kids grow and I am excited to visit the center again.
Check out Pathways: https://www.pathwaysearlyeducation.org/