After experiencing a head injury in the sixth grade, 17-year-old Yuridia Calihua-Panzo became interested in how the brain works. The accident inspired her to pursue a career in neuroscience, but it wasn’t until her internship that she discovered a certain specialty.
“I was able to shadow a neurosurgeon, so I was actually there in the surgery room when they were performing a spinal surgery on somebody,” said Calihua-Panzo.
“Seeing how it [the surgery] was, like, the whole process, it sort of like grabbed me, leaning towards surgeries, and before, I just wanted to go into being a neurologist, so now to being a neurosurgeon.”
Witnessing a live spinal surgery was made possible for Yuridia through the Immokalee Foundations’ Career Pathways Program. Its focus is on creating avenues for success and professional development for Immokalee youth.
Foundation President and CEO Noemi Perez was raised in Immokalee. Her deep connection with the community allows her to create solutions to the circumstances that she says can prevent student progress and advancement.
“Many of the parents, because of the type of work that they go into, agricultural work, they spend a lot of time out of the home,” said Perez.
“So even though they aspire for their kids to have an education, because they know that's the key to break the cycle of poverty, they don't know how to guide their students.”
The poverty rate in Immokalee is 141% higher than the U.S. average, according to The United States Census Bureau. Perez says the Foundation steps in to bridge the gap for parents and students to create a new type of future for the community of Immokalee.
“We’re also changing, you know, generations to come even after, you know, a lot of these students have graduated and are in their in their career and they're having families as well,” said Perez. “We want to be able to continue to provide support where we can.”
The Career Pathways Program serves about 1,300 students a year and sets them up on a path focused on four in-demand careers in Southwest Florida: Business Management & Entrepreneurship, Education & Human Services, Engineering & Construction Management and Healthcare.
Finishing up her senior year at Immokalee High School, Calihua-Panzo is the valedictorian of this year’s Career Pathways cohort. She says her parents moved to Immokalee from Mexico to work in agriculture, and the foundation gives her the help she needs to navigate college prep and planning.
“My parents came here, and they're not English speakers. So, I never had guidance, like, relying on my parents for support as much since I would be first generation,” said Calihua-Panzo.
“Being part of the foundation has given me guidance," she said. "Being able to get their support with the resources that they're offered, I'm able to have that support throughout high school and eventually post-secondary.”
Perez says 100% of student participants graduate from high school and are placed in post-secondary education at universities, colleges or technical programs. Most of the students leave high school with technical certificates already in hand.
“What we're trying to do is help the community understand that we are in a different world than the world and time then, you know, 10-15 plus years ago, where, you know, a college degree is great for some but there are other careers that only need a technical certification or experience needed in order to be successful,” said Perez.
Inspired by the program, Calihua-Panzo says she plans to come back to Immokalee after college.
“I know many cities in Florida, like Immokalee, live on the poverty line, so I want to be able to give them support and long-standing resources in the future,” said Calihua-Panzo.
WGCU is your trusted source for news and information in Southwest Florida. We are a nonprofit public service, and your support is more critical than ever. Keep public media strong and donate now. Thank you.
