My name is Rocio Curiel, and I was born in Santa Maria, CA, but raised in Baja, California, México. At the age of 12, my parents decided to return to Santa Maria, CA, looking for a better quality of life and opportunities for my five siblings and me. I proudly speak Mixteco (from San Juan Piñas, Oaxaca), Spanish and English. As a first-generation student, I graduated with an AA degree in Spanish at Allan Hancock College.
I joined CFF because I love our mission and am passionate about helping my community. Being a daughter of farmworkers and as a former farmworker, I understand many difficulties our farmworkers face. As a Mixteco speaker, I want to empower my community and help them become future leaders because, in Santa Maria, there is a large population of monolingual Mixteco speakers with aspirations and voices to be heard.
