MULBERRY, Fla. — Graduation season has arrived and there are many feel good stories happening.

Five seniors from Mulberry High School in Polk County have spent a better part of their challenging lives together with their migrant families. They will continue their path of higher education again together, as all will go to Michigan State University.

Mulberry High’s School Resource Deputy talked to Spectrum Bay News 9 about the College Assistance Migrant Program or CAMP and how it’s helped that special group of Mulberry grads.

 “This program being at Michigan State was a good support program for all of us,” said Polk County Sheriff’s Deputy Esbeydy Villagran, a Resource Officer at Polk County Schools.  “And I say all of us because it recruits migrant students and farmworkers who have that kind of background. 

“And I have that kind of background, especially growing up all my life being a migrant worker.”

Villagran, from a migrant family as well who went through CAMP, is now passing her wisdom to the next generation.

Perla Alvarez, Jennifer Vasquez, Veronica Santiz, Jessica Rodriguez Lopez, and Janet Roque-Molina are the five seniors who have all decided to go to college together.

The Education Department reports the program helps about 2,000 students nationwide, which includes many schools such as the University of South Florida.

“When you needed help trying to build your resume or I needed winter clothing,” said Dep. Villagran.  “I mean I don’t even know how to prepare for winter because we’re here in Florida and we don’t have that kind of stuff here.”

The College Assistance Migrant Program is helping them in their future studies.

And the students also are paying it forward. Among them, Perla Alvarez has been a vocal leader. It’s a job Alvarez is used to with her own family.

“I have to be the mother in my family, I guess. There’s a lot of obstacles that migrant families go through just to be here,” said Alvarez. “And so just being able to help if you can is very special and the migrant families know that and they appreciate it so much. And they really use up every resource that we give them.”

As part of their community work, the girls deliver much needed items to the community such as food, clothing, cleaning supplies, even toys for the little ones.

“They see us walking and they just know that we’re going to give them something,” Alvarez said. “We make them smile. Everybody needs help and some people don’t let other people know that they need help.” 

Even more notable about the group is they are all the first in their families to pursue higher education.

The soon to be MSU Spartans are doing what they’ve always done.

They’re bringing a smile to their community and hoping to do the same when they go to college, together.

Mulberry High School’s graduation is Monday, May 22.