Long hours worked by Erica Alfaro's parents, picking berries in the fields of California, motivated her to obtain a master's degree from San Diego State University.
She decided to take her graduation photo in the fields where they work. It's an image that's being shared on social media like others taken by college graduates who share similar backgrounds.
In the image, Alfaro wears a cap and gown, while her parents wear work clothes. The three of them are standing in the field where Alfaro's parents have worked 10 hours a day, seven days a week.
"I feel that many people shared that photo because many feel identified," Erica Alfaro said.
Her mother Teresa Herreras spoke in her native language of Mixtec when she explained to Telemundo 20 that she doesn't want to see her children in her place.
"My dream is to see them in an office," she said. "We did not have the opportunity to study."
Alfaro also has her own survivor story because she became a mother at age 15 and managed to graduate from college. She wants to be an example for victims of domestic violence and young women who became mothers at an early age.
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Alfaro graduated with a bachelor's degree from Cal State San Marcos in 2017 and with a master's degree from San Diego State University in May 2019.
