Dolores Sanchez is the 33-year-old mother of six children, ranging in age from two to eighteen years old.  Dolores grew up in Mexico until she was in the sixth grade, when her family moved to Texas.  Living in the United States, Dolores did not have the opportunity to graduate from high school, having her first child at the age of 15. 

She and her husband Cesar decided when they became parents that they would do everything in their power to provide their children the support they would need for a prosperous life.  They knew that a critical part of their children's future success would begin with a solid foundation in education, something Dolores and Cesar never had themselves.    With this decision, Dolores dedicated herself to the education of her children. 

For the Sanchez's, working toward this goal has been a family effort, to help, to guide, to provide encouragement, and to be positive models for one another. 

When their oldest son began kindergarten, Dolores began attending parent-teacher conferences and volunteering at school activities.  Since Spanish was her first language, Dolores learned English in order to communicate with the classroom teachers and school staff.  This consistent contact and involvement has continued throughout each child's schooling.

The Sanchez's strive to create a home environment which is supportive to helping meet each child's learning needs.  Part of this happens through the standard of high expectations that has been established.  No child is expected to be perfect, but each knows it is their responsibility to work hard and try their best.

Even with the disruption and many challenges of migrating, Dolores and her husband have taken measures to ensure as successful transition as possible when her kids have to move and change schools.  Organization, careful record-keeping, and utilization of assistance through programs which offer portable and web-based courses, as well as credit transition and consolidation have helped the Sanchez kids not only maintain, but excel in their schoolwork.  Their names can regularly be found on honor roll lists as evidence of this.  In addition to academics, they're also involved in extra-curricular activities like orchestra, basketball, soccer, and music.

Daniel, the oldest Sanchez son has recently graduated from high school and attends a Texas University through a migrant program scholarship he receives.  Dolores and Cesar are very proud of him, and say that it means a great deal to Daniel to have the opportunity to set a good example for his younger brothers and sisters to see.

Beyond the work she does at home and at her children's schools, Dolores also feels she has an important role in making the needs of migrant children and families better understood.  For this reason, she is involved in community associations which directly support migrant/seasonal farm workers health, education, and related issues.   She is an active member of the Migrant Head Start Policy Council in Minnesota, as well as a participant in the program's Health Advisory Committee.  In Texas, she is Vice President of the local school district's Migrant Parent Advisory Council, and has also been involved in area medical studies researching farm worker health and safety issues. 

The Sanchez family plans to continue migrating as long as it will benefit their children.  It is a sacrifice made by everyone.  Work in the hot fields of Minnesota is long and hard, but has been valuable to them all, they say.  The children have come to understand the limits and difficulties of physical labor, and Dolores and Cesar are grateful for this lesson.  The family appreciates this time together, and makes use of the summers they spend working in the fields as a chance to think, plan, pray, and to dream.