MARIA ESPINOZA RODRIGUEZ

Hometown: Immokalee, Florida
School: University of Florida
Major: Criminology and Agricultural Education & Communication

Maria Espinoza Rodriguez moved to the United States in the summer of 2005 from Guanajuato, Mexico to Immokalee, Florida. Since their migration, her family has worked as migrant farm workers. Throughout her upbringing, she migrated with her family and worked in various east coast states in the tomato harvest. These experiences deeply shaped Maria and her academic and professional aspirations. Maria begins every day with the goal of making her family and community proud.

Currently, she is a rising senior at the University of Florida obtaining a dual degree in Criminology & Agricultural Education and Communication with a minor in Latin American Studies. Maria works on campus at the Oral History Program where she focuses on collecting and sharing the stories of the Latinx Diaspora. Maria’s undergraduate research focuses on the intersections between agriculture labor, policy, and immigration. She hopes to work with labor and immigration organizations fighting for a more comprehensive and just immigration reform that includes the farmworker community.

As a CHCI participant, Maria hopes to learn from individuals who are making an impact and advocating for Latinx and underrepresented communities. She hopes to use this experience and bring back all that she learns in Washington D.C. to help her community.