Every summer, TIF watches students graduate high school and prepare for the next step in their education. For Jesus, that next step is college. This Take Stock in Children alum is currently a freshman at Florida Gulf Coast University. (In his latest note to us, he wrote, “College is AMAZING! Things are going great for me! I love it!”)

Between graduating from Immokalee High School and beginning his freshman year of college, Jesus spent the summer with his family, who work as migrant farmhands — an occupation and lifestyle common among residents of Immokalee. Each day, Jesus took a minute or two to tell us about his summer experiences.

Monday, June 20, 2009
12:13 a.m.

Hey! Guess what? I'm currently on my way to Florida! YAY! I don't know yet if I'm going to have to drive, but probably not now. Perhaps on the way back. I’m super stoked to be going home even if it is for a day. I miss my friends and I hope to get to see some of them. We’re only going to pick up a few things that weren’t taken with us on our first trip up. After picking those things up we’re coming right back up to be here for Monday because we have work that day.

Tuesday, June 21, 2009
6:01 p.m.

We're heading back up to Georgia as I'm writing this! We have a long eight-hour drive ahead of us and I'm pretty sleepy. We arrived in Florida earlier this morning at 3 a.m. and neither my mom nor I have gotten a chance to sleep, but we’re still going. We keep each other awake by talking to each other so we don’t get bored. Right now she’s telling me about how life was for her as a child. She says she lived a simple life, but it was a good one. My grandmom, which was her mom, was a single mother and raised eight kids alone. Living in Mexico is tough and once my parents were married at ages 18 and 19 they came to America looking for a better life and they also wanted to give my siblings and I an opportunity for a better life. For them education was the most important thing and it's good that I understand that too.

Wednesday, June 22, 2009
11:04 a.m.

Well, here I am writing this with about four hours of sleep. We arrived back in Georgia around 7 a.m. and I have to get ready for work in a bit. Man, I really really want to just lay back down and sleep, but there’s no point in dreaming. I have to help out today and who knows, we might even get off early today.

Thursday, June 23, 2009
9:00 p.m.

Yes! I'm home pretty early today and I have a few hours to play some video games and play some more with my MacBook! I'm excited. My mom even bought Pizza Hut for dinner! It’s been a while since we’ve eaten food from a restaurant. Tomorrow the movie Transformers comes out and my cousin and I are planning to go see it, so I'm excited about that. Next week my two younger sisters, Ana and Skylar, are going to Mexico for a month with my aunt so it’ll be pretty quiet at home without them. It’ll be Skylar’s first time going to Mexico. She’s only three and my parents can’t go because of work and money so they decided to send my sisters with my aunt.

Monday, June 29, 2009
6:32 p.m.

Rain! Our final day in Georgia was cut short today because of the rain and now we’re getting a few things packed. We’re heading down south to Florida tonight! We have to go drop off my sisters at the airport in Miami by Wednesday and hopefully we’ll stay down in Florida for a few days so I can see some of my friends.

Tuesday, June 30, 2009
7:43 a.m.

My eyes are burning! You have no idea how sleepy I am. I want to close my eyes right now and just fall asleep! But we arrived here safely, which is good. We have a few days to relax and enjoy. I’m planning on seeing some of my friends later. But first, I need sleep!

Wednesday, July 1, 2009
8:00 p.m.

I just hopped out the shower and I’m getting ready to head into town to go spend time with two of my closest friends. I haven’t seen them since graduation so I’m excited. We’re going to go eat somewhere and then head back to a friend’s house to watch a movie. It seems like it’s going to be a fun night.

Thursday, July 2, 2009
5:26 p.m.

I’m heading back up north! We left our hometown about an hour and a half ago and we’re traveling up along the road and we'll be meeting up with my dad because he started earlier than us. The ride won’t be too grueling. I’m well rested and managed to take a nap before we left so I won’t be too tired. Right now my mom and I are talking about her childhood in Mexico and just talking about different things to stay awake.

Friday, July 3, 2009
1:24 p.m.

Today’s schedule is full of movement and packing! We arrived to the state of Georgia at 2:30 a.m. and later today we’re heading up to Tennessee. Everything is busy today and we have another long trip today. It’s going to be a long day! We’re off yet again on another trip farther north. Our destination? Morristown, Tennessee. It’s another eight-hour drive so we'll be there sometime early tomorrow morning. Work for us begins on Monday. It’s pretty fast paced. You start early at one ranch and then the season is over and right away you begin at another.

Saturday, July 4, 2009
8:27 p.m.

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY! I just arrived in Atlanta, Georgia. My parents and I came to a party that some of our family members are throwing. Afterwards we’ll be heading farther south to Bainbridge, Georgia, where we were previously working. My dad has to pick up some things that he wasn’t able to take on our first trip to Tennessee.

CHECK OUT WEEK ONE

CHECK OUT WEEK TWO

CHECK OUT WEEK FIVE

CHECK OUT WEEKS SIX & SEVEN

CHECK OUT WEEKS EIGHT & NINE

CHECK OUT WEEKS TEN & ELEVEN