{"id":1738,"date":"2025-07-29T14:17:59","date_gmt":"2025-07-29T21:17:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/extintern\/?p=1738"},"modified":"2025-07-31T08:53:42","modified_gmt":"2025-07-31T15:53:42","slug":"osu-extension-intern-redefines-the-journey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/extintern\/2025\/07\/29\/osu-extension-intern-redefines-the-journey\/","title":{"rendered":"OSU Extension intern redefines the journey"},"content":{"rendered":"

My name is Lucia Rocha, and as a 38-year-old mother of two, I am not what usually comes to
\nmind when you think of a typical college intern. My road to higher education hasn\u2019t been easy
\nor linear. It’s been shaped by grief, perseverance and a deep desire to create a life of purpose
\nfor myself and my family.<\/p>\n

\n \"\"\n
Lucia Rocha smiling with her two children at her recent graduation from Chemeketa Community College. Photo: Rosy VanHorn<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n

Growing up in a low-income household, college wasn\u2019t something my parents could afford for
\nme. I entered the workforce right after high school and quickly worked my way up. Then, as I
\nbegan to grow in my career, my mother and I were in a car accident that took her life.
\nHeartbroken, I pushed forward and continued working hard and trying to rebuild my life.<\/p>\n

My perseverance and potential were recognized by the company\u2019s owner, who awarded me a
\nsmall scholarship. This reignited my dreams of pursuing a higher education. I enrolled in college
\nand worked full-time while attending school full-time, determined to succeed. But just as I was
\nnearing the completion of my degree, the company went out of business. I lost my job,
\nscholarship and once again had to put my education on hold.<\/p>\n

I soon started a new job, worked hard and found stability in my career. Shortly after, I became a
\nmother, and my dreams of a higher education were pushed even further back. Just as I was
\npreparing for a promotion, my brother and 12-year-old niece passed away unexpectedly. Their
\nloss reminded me just how fragile life is and forced me to reflect on what truly mattered.
\nIn late 2023, I made the difficult decision to leave behind the career I had worked so hard to
\nbuild and return to school full-time. Although not an easy choice, it was the best choice for my
\nchildren and me. I wanted them to see that it\u2019s never too late to start over or chase your
\ndreams.<\/p>\n

My hard work and dedication paid off. This June, I received my associate’s degree in business
\nfrom Chemeketa Community College. I was also awarded the Ford Family Foundation
\nOpportunity Scholarship to pursue my bachelor\u2019s degree at Oregon State University. I have the
\nhonor of interning with the Oregon State University Extension Service in Marion County, where
\nI support the Juntos and Open Campus programs. I\u2019ve spent much of my life in service to
\nothers, through my work at the Oregon Department of Human Services, creating a youth group
\nat my church, co-founding a nonprofit and volunteering in my children\u2019s schools.<\/p>\n

\n \"Jerry\n
Jerry Phillips presents Lucia Rocha with an award from the Ford Foundation Scholarship Award Ceremony. Photo: Keri Blue Photography<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n

This internship has given me something new: the opportunity to serve my community while
\ngrowing in my role as a student and professional. So far, I\u2019ve been helping with outreach to high
\nschool graduates, guiding them through college orientation, registering for classes and
\nwhatever they may need as they step into their future. I\u2019ve reached out to students and
\nfamilies in both English and Spanish, offering support in a way that feels natural to who I am.
\nIt\u2019s been rewarding to be that helping hand, especially for families who might otherwise feel
\nunsure about navigating these systems.<\/p>\n

What I\u2019ve appreciated most is having a unique opportunity to connect with students, parents
\nand the passionate professionals I\u2019m learning from. I am currently in all their shoes, which
\nallows me to connect with them in a way that not all interns can. However, even with my
\nexperience, I\u2019m still growing, I\u2019m still learning and I\u2019m incredibly grateful for this opportunity.
\nThis internship isn\u2019t just a stepping stone, it\u2019s part of a bigger journey, a reminder that starting
\nover isn\u2019t failure; it\u2019s a choice. And sometimes, it\u2019s the bravest one we can make. I am excited
\nfor the future, both in and out of this internship.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My name is Lucia Rocha, and as a 38-year-old mother of two, I am not what usually comes to mind when you think of a typical college intern. My road to higher education hasn\u2019t been easy or linear. It’s been shaped by grief, perseverance and a deep desire to create a life of purpose for… Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14884,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[84,65,85],"tags":[307],"class_list":["post-1738","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-juntos","category-marion-county","category-open-campus","tag-lucia-rocha"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/extintern\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1738","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/extintern\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/extintern\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/extintern\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14884"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/extintern\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1738"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/extintern\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1738\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1742,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/extintern\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1738\/revisions\/1742"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/extintern\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1738"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/extintern\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1738"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/extintern\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1738"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}