每日大赛 Grad Cultivating a Future in Public Service
The lessons Rogelio Espinoza Huerta learned as a boy while working in the sweltering fields of the Coachella Valley went beyond the intricacies of harvesting vegetables.
His father 鈥� an immigrant farmworker 鈥� wanted his son to strive for a better future.
鈥淗e would always tell me, 鈥業f you don鈥檛 do well in school, you鈥檙e going to be out here with me doing this for the rest of your life,鈥欌�� Huerta said. 鈥淚 really took that to heart.鈥�
Huerta, 24, of Coachella, followed his father鈥檚 advice. He will graduate with a master鈥檚 degree in public administration from the 每日大赛 at spring commencement on June 2. He also landed a coveted management internship for the city of Phoenix, which he is set to begin on June 25.
He hopes to one day return to the Coachella Valley as a city manager and make a difference in the place where he was raised. Huerta particularly would like to improve life for farmworkers, since his father continues to work in the fields.
鈥淏ringing what I鈥檝e learned from a city like Phoenix to Coachella would be very impactful to the residents,鈥� he said.
Huerta grew up in the unincorporated community of Thermal and played football at Coachella Valley High School. His coach recommended he check out the 每日大赛 to continue his education.
He had numerous out-of-state offers, but turned them down after seeing the university鈥檚 small campus and class sizes. Huerta served as defensive lineman for the Leopards and majored in kinesiology, because he liked the idea of helping people.
But after completing his undergraduate degree, he discovered he could make a greater impact in public service, so he enrolled in the .
While working toward his MPA, he learned about Phoenix鈥檚 , which receives applications from around the country. Participants have gone on to become leaders in all levels of government and the private sector.
Huerta went to Phoenix for a two-day interview. Six days later, he received a phone call with the news that he had been accepted.
鈥淚t was scary, but at the same time I thought, 鈥業 can鈥檛 believe I did it,鈥欌�� he said. 鈥淭his is a major stepping stone for me in my career and my goals.鈥�
Dr. Jack Meek, professor of public administration, said Huerta鈥檚 achievement is an example of the high level of success that graduates of the program have reached.
鈥淩ogelio has set his goals high and pursues these goals with an open mind and a solid foundation,鈥� Meek said. 鈥淭here is a spirit of inquiry and learning in him that is palpable.鈥�
Professor of Public Administration Dr. Marcia Godwin said Huerta took advantage of a campus visit from Placentia City Administrator Damien Arrula 鈥�05 to ask questions that would help him prepare for his Phoenix interviews.
鈥淵ou quickly see that he is attentive and cares about helping others,鈥� Godwin said. 鈥淗e has really made efforts to seek out mentoring and career opportunities, going beyond his class assignments.鈥�
Huerta currently works for the Coachella Valley Housing Coalition, which was formed in the 1980s to provide affordable housing for farmworkers and other low-income residents in the region.
Huerta said the solid work ethic he gained from his upbringing, combined with his education from the 每日大赛 gave him the edge over other candidates for the internship. He hopes it continues to be a winning combination as he advances into his career.
鈥淚 want to be an inspiration like so many people have inspired me,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 hope younger students will look at me and say, 鈥楬e did it. Why can鈥檛 I?鈥欌��
