Yulisa's Success Story | Hood River, OR
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Yulisa Cerritos was born in La Goleta's outskirts, a small rural town in Mexico; she was raised there until the age of four. Yulisa's family immigrated to the U.S. in the early 2000s in search of a better opportunity. Yulisa's father, Jose, came to the U.S. to work in Oregon's fields harvesting fruit. Her mother, Maria, followed him and worked as a babysitter and later worked in a packing house in 2002. Yulisa and her family have called Hood River, Oregon, their home for the last 16 years.
About seven years ago, Yulisa started working with her mother in the blueberry harvest during her summer breaks from school. At the age of 14, Yulisa began harvesting pears and worked with her parents every year. In September 2020, she started working at a cherry packing house while being a full-time student. The most significant adversities that Yulisa and her family faced were living paycheck to paycheck due to low wages. It was difficult for her to come home and see her father physically in pain after a long workday. Yulisa was thankful for her parents providing her with everything she needed despite their financial hardship. |
One day, Yulisa learned about the Oregon Human Development Corporation (OHDC) National Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP) for youth at her high school during the morning announcements; her teacher presented information about the NFJP Youth Scholarship. Yulisa wanted to enroll because she needed financial assistance with college. She was a recipient of other local scholarships, but they were not enough to cover her first year at Portland State University.
Yulisa is a DACA student, and although there are scholarship opportunities, she knew that it would be difficult to qualify. Yulisa decided to meet up with a Workforce Consultant at OHDC and apply for the WIOA Youth Program. Through the NFJP program, she received financial assistance with tuition and books. She also received food and transportation assistance to relieve some of the financial stress. Yulisa is currently a student at Portland State University majoring in Business with a minor in Spanish. She is also thinking of specializing in Finance or Accounting. Yulisa says the program has given her a new perspective.
One of Yulisa's future goals includes graduating from Portland State University. She would like to start her own business and open a diner and pastry shop in her home town of Hood River. "I want to do something that I love, not a job but a career," She stated. She says that the program has helped her immensely during her first year of college and is thankful that she can attend another year. "Without the support, I don't think I'd be in PSU... Another way this program helped me was the (Workforce Consultant) Claudia. She was a great support, and I looked up to her.
Yulisa is a DACA student, and although there are scholarship opportunities, she knew that it would be difficult to qualify. Yulisa decided to meet up with a Workforce Consultant at OHDC and apply for the WIOA Youth Program. Through the NFJP program, she received financial assistance with tuition and books. She also received food and transportation assistance to relieve some of the financial stress. Yulisa is currently a student at Portland State University majoring in Business with a minor in Spanish. She is also thinking of specializing in Finance or Accounting. Yulisa says the program has given her a new perspective.
One of Yulisa's future goals includes graduating from Portland State University. She would like to start her own business and open a diner and pastry shop in her home town of Hood River. "I want to do something that I love, not a job but a career," She stated. She says that the program has helped her immensely during her first year of college and is thankful that she can attend another year. "Without the support, I don't think I'd be in PSU... Another way this program helped me was the (Workforce Consultant) Claudia. She was a great support, and I looked up to her.