As my NAFHSA internship comes to an end, I can’t help but reflect on how much this summer has changed me. If I could sit down with my 5-year-old self, the little girl who attended Migrant and Seasonal Head Start, I would imagine us sitting together in our childhood kitchen, eating warm tortillas hechas a mano. She is wearing her favorite little embroidered Mexican dress, happily sipping on Mexican Coca-Cola and asking endless questions. The first thing I would tell her is “We did it!” We made our parents’ sacrifices worth it. We are proudly representing our family and the farmworker community in our nation’s capital. We are living proof that the daughter of immigrant farmworkers can create change and leave a legacy.
I was always fearless, outspoken, and determined, the “wild child” of the family. That part of her never disappeared. Today, she still speaks up, but now her voice represents an entire community. Along the way, she learned to be more open-minded, patient, and observant. I know she would ask me if we ever got to fly on an airplane or travel far from home. She’d ask what kind of job we have. I would smile and tell her that we spent the summer living and working in Washington, D.C., helping pass an important bill on Capitol Hill. She would be amazed to hear that we met with congressional staff, spoke about policies that impact on our community, and even met California Senator Adam Schiff. Beyond my work on Capitol Hill, NAFHSA reminded me that every person carries a story worth sharing. It gave me the confidence to embrace my own story and realize that my background is not something to hide, but something that can create meaningful change. When I think about the moment that best captures my summer in Washington, D.C., I picture myself watching the sunset from the Lincoln Memorial. As I looked across the National Mall, I realized how much I had grown, not just professionally but personally.
I think what would surprise her the most is the dream we’ve held onto all these years. She would be excited to know that one day we want to become business owners and open our very own farm, a place that honors our family’s hard work. If I could leave her with a piece of advice, it would be this: always stay true to your values, remain humble, believe in yourself, and do everything with love and passion. Your timeline doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. Keep dreaming, because one day, you’ll realize you’re already living the dream you once wished for.
Knowing her, she would probably jump from the table before I could finish talking and ask if we could go play cooking like we always did. And after that, she would ask me for money so that we could buy an elote from the elotero down the street. And honestly, I’d say yes, because those simple moments were the start of a bright future.
Blog Author: Sayra Agustín-Zárate – Class of 2026
Published on August 3, 2026