By:Ailyn Quiroz, staff writer 

At 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 26 in the Student Union, the rotunda was filled with artwork from this year’s College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) cohort.  

CAMP is a national program that is federally funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Migrant Education, which assists seasonal farm workers, or their dependents, through their first year of college and continuing with their postsecondary education.  

The rotunda was filled with the artwork of students from CAMP’s cohort. The event was opened to the public, with food and refreshments provided.  

The program supports students by providing intensive academic, social, and financial support. Because of issues surrounding the funding of the program, the program’s future is in doubt. 

Rosalyn Martínez, the director of CAMP , High School Equivalency Program (HEP, and the program coordinator for graduate studies and research, discussed the event.  

“Our national organization for CAMP and HEP has an annual art show that student winners present at our annual conference. I liked the idea of the art show because students, especially from the program, tend to keep some of their background experiences to themselves,” said Martínez. “Our artshow here on campus has been going on for about four years now.” 

Martinez said there were some changes this year. 

“Normally we just did what the national HEP/CAMP association theme was, but this year since our budget froze in the summer, there was no theme developed,” she said. “So, I developed the theme ‘Seguimos Aqui,’ which means that we’re still here despite everything else against our farmworkers.” 

This year’s CAMP cohort has 27 students who all presented their pieces as they talked with visitors about their artwork.  

“My main inspiration for my piece was the fact that during my high school graduation, I didn’t get to decorate my cap, I was a bit disappointed since everyone made it a big deal,” said Miranda Diaz, a chemistry major. “So, I decided to do it for this project since education plays a big part in my family, and my parents really support us in getting an education.” 

CAMP student Galilea Hernandez also participated. 

“When I heard that we had to make a piece for the artshow, I went home that weekend and I was debating because I cannot draw,” said Hernandez, a nursing major. “So, my mom brought me a box of pictures to be inspired, so I decided to do something with pictures because they hold a lot of emotional depth to me.” 

Hernandez continued, saying, “I wanted to create a story because my mom had pictures, my dad didn’t, and we had one of my grandpa. They have their story, they lived their lives, but what about now? I’mliving my story, so I wanted to focus on, of course, my grandparents and their family, but I knew this was for me,”” 

The program’s possible closure was on the mind of Diaz and Hernandez. 

“It’s really kind of sad, and it makes you a bit disappointed in the current administration, because of everything they’re trying to do,” said Diaz. “Like undermine people of color and their achievements, so I’mdefinitely sad to see it end, but I’m hopeful that it’s going to grow back bigger and stronger.”  

Hernandez expressed her feelings on the program’s impact on the start of her college journey. 

“I am devastated. I honestly believe that I couldn’t have made it throughout this year without CAMP. Mrs. Rosalyn, Mrs. Laura, and Ms. Kei were always there to answer any questions I had. I feel like I wouldn’thave been able to maintain my GPA or make a schedule and stick to it without them. They’ve lived life so they know exactly how to help,” said Hernandez.  

As of now, the CAMP program will ending on June 30 due to the lack of federal funding. .A lot of spending on programs that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion have been cut.  

The HEP program has two years remaining for its grant and has been helping people from migrant seasonal farm working backgrounds get their GEDs.  

“As of now, there’s no new award competition to apply for another grant cycle, which previously we had a five-year grant cycle. Right now, I want to remain hopeful that there will be a new competition and that we can win it, because we meet our goals every year and it’s a phenomenal program and our data is really good for academics and retention,” said Martinez. 

 She also hopes to find a way to replicate what CAMP has done for students and the community. 

“I’ve been asking students about how they would have reached out to them with me knowing they have a farm worker background without the incentive of the program. Would it have made a difference? Most students are shy though and admitted they wouldn’t have responded, so maybe as an institution we can put our minds together and figure out what we can do.”