Elias Lopez is the Farmworker Student Services and College Assistance Migrant Program interim director.

Every summer, Michigan's fields come alive as thousands of seasonal farmworkers harvest the fruits and vegetables that feed families across the state and nation. Their work is physically demanding, often invisible and essential to the agricultural economy. Behind every harvest is a family making sacrifices in pursuit of a better life.

As co-chair of Michigan State University’s Farmworker Appreciation Commemorative Celebration, I support programming that honors and recognizes the contributions of farmworkers while also acknowledging the unique challenges farmworker families continue to face today. At MSU, that recognition extends beyond words through a long-standing commitment to educational access, student success and community. The celebration gives a platform for the many farmworker students who are Spartans.

Creating pathways to higher education

For decades, MSU has been home to programs dedicated to supporting students from seasonal farmworking backgrounds. Through Farmworker Student Services, or FSS, the university works to ensure that students whose families have helped sustain one of Michigan's most important industries can thrive in higher education. FSS provides direct services to farmworkers from birth through career placement.

For many students, arriving on a college campus is both exciting and intimidating. Many arrive by themselves. As first-generation students, they rely on MSU to learn to navigate financial barriers, unfamiliar systems, cultural expectations and the pressure of balancing family responsibilities while pursuing a degree. The MSU College Assistance Migrant Program, or CAMP, was created to introduce farmworker students to higher education and ease that transition during the first year of college by providing academic support, financial assistance, leadership development, mentoring and a strong sense of belonging.

Supporting students beyond their first year

MSU CAMP continues walking alongside students throughout their college journey, helping them navigate academic challenges, connect with campus resources, access to an education abroad experience, prepare for careers, secure internships, pursue graduate education and develop as leaders, creating the full Spartan experience.

The goal is not simply to help students earn a degree. It is to empower them to build meaningful careers while remaining connected to the communities that shaped them.

Our students bring resilience, determination and an incredible work ethic to MSU. Many have witnessed firsthand the sacrifices their families have made in the fields. Our responsibility is to ensure those sacrifices create opportunities for the next generation. Every student who graduates represents not only personal success but also a family's dream realized.

Building leaders who give back

MSU CAMP alumni have become teachers, engineers, health care professionals, researchers, entrepreneurs, attorneys, social workers, agricultural leaders and public servants. Many choose to mentor current students, serve on advisory boards, advocate for farmworker communities and invest back into the programs that once supported them. Their success is what breaks cycles of poverty and creates a cycle of opportunity that strengthens families, communities and future generations.

In Michigan, July is Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker Appreciation Month, which provides an opportunity to recognize that educational access is an important part of honoring farmworker families. Supporting students whose lives have been shaped by agriculture is an investment in Michigan’s future workforce and in building a stronger community.

The work of FSS and CAMP would not be possible without the collaboration of faculty, staff, alums, donors, community organizations and state and federal partners who believe that every student can graduate when opportunity is made accessible.

How the Spartan community can help

This month, help us recognize the individuals whose hard labor feeds our communities. MSU CAMP students carry their families' legacy with them not only through hard work, but through education, leadership and service. Programs like CAMP are part of what makes MSU a premier land-grant institution by expanding opportunities, strengthening communities and creating a future where every student has the chance to succeed.

This year, MSU CAMP has faced complex federal funding challenges similar to many federal programs across the country. As we await updates from the U.S. Department of Education, MSU CAMP has relied on the kindness and support of MSU alums, donors, community members and friends to raise the funds necessary to continue supporting farmworker students at MSU.

To learn more about Farmworker Student Services or support farmworker students at MSU, visit farmworker.msu.edu.