The Value of a Dollar

My name is Liliana Salazar-Juarez. I am a rising junior at Florida State University, and I can proudly say I've been a part of The Immokalee Foundation since I was in the sixth grade.

As a middle school student, I knew that going to college was my dream, but living in a low-income household, it felt like this dream was unrealistic.

As the oldest daughter of Mexican parents, I witnessed my mother and father harvest crops and suffer countless heat-related illnesses. I feared that I would grow up and follow the same path, not because I was afraid of hard work - you can't be from Immokalee and be afraid of hard work - but because I didn't know there was another option.

I didn't know how to apply to college. I had never heard of things like dual enrollment, tuition, or even how to choose a major. I didn't know how to chase my dream.

That's when I was introduced to The Immokalee Foundation - an organization that showed me my true potential and proved that I could be successful and financially secure.

For over 33 years, The Immokalee Foundation has been preparing the next generation of leaders through a 100% focus on education, career readiness, and workforce development for students in Immokalee - from kindergarten through postsecondary education.

The Foundation has extensively impacted our local workforce by providing robust programming that prepares students for well-paying, in-demand professional careers in Business Management and Entrepreneurship, Education and Human Services, Engineering and Construction Management, and Healthcare.

When The Immokalee Foundation came into my life, everything changed. There were career fairs, presentations, college tours, field trips, and access to professionals from careers I didn't even know existed.

Then, there was my ongoing dream of a college education. The Immokalee Foundation gave me more than just college prep; they provided me with a mentor who believed in me and saw my potential when I couldn't see it myself.

The staff at the Foundation walked me through every college application and deadline, and for the first time, I started to believe that maybe, just maybe, I didn't have to follow the same path my parents were forced to take.

One summer, The Immokalee Foundation gave me something I will never forget: a chance to attend Kingsley Pines Camp.

Before that, I never really had a "summer." On TV, people always talk about summer vacation fun, freedom, and time to relax. But for me, summer meant waking up early and working in the fields alongside my parents.

Summer meant sweat, sunburn, and sore feet - not swimming, laughter, or new friendships.

So, when the Foundation sent me to camp, covering all the expenses, I didn't even know what to expect. And what I found there was life-changing.

My time at Kingsley Pines Camp was the first time I felt like a . I didn't have to worry about responsibilities or hardships. I could just breathe, laugh, and feel free. That summer, for the first time, I felt seen. I felt like my life could be different.

The Immokalee Foundation has made that happen - and so much more - for me and over 17,000 young people like me.

And now, my younger sisters are also part of The Immokalee Foundation. They have hope in their heart and opportunity in their hands. They see what's possible because they've seen my journey.

My life has taught me to appreciate the value of money on a level that goes beyond what many other teenagers would understand. This is why I followed the Foundation's Business Management & Entrepreneurship Pathway curriculum in high school and chose finance as my career. Everyone in Immokalee understands the value of a dollar because - simply put - we don't have that many of them.

I even hope to one day start a non-profit that teaches financial literacy to young people like me.

The Immokalee Foundation doesn't just change lives; it transforms generations.

Because of this Foundation, the cycle is breaking.

One child, one dream, one dollar at a time.