Gabriel Rauz Robles Administrative Assistant in Agrícola Belher
Born in Santa Gertrudis Miramar, Oaxaca. With only 22 years, Gabriel maintains a clear focus on his future, his goals and the way to achieve them.
He is currently studying a Business Administration degree career at Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa (UAS) as he works as an administrative assistant in Agrícola Belher, which received him since he was a year old, when his parents decided to come to work in the agricultural fields of Sinaloa.
- For what reason your family decided to come to Sinaloa?
When I was about a year old my parents decided to come to Sinaloa, along with a group of families from the same town where I was born, to work in the agricultural fields because in Oaxaca there are not many job opportunities.
Since then and until now, every year Lo Beltran receive us and we work at their fields.
2. Tell us about your student days…
I think it was very normal, like any other child in the community.
I attended a mixed elementary school in Lo de Sauceda, Navolato; I studied middle school in Oaxaca and when I entered to high school I came back to Sinaloa and registered at Colegio de Bachilleres del Estado de Sinaloa (COBAES).
3. Has Agrícola Belher supported you in all these?
Since high school I got the opportunity to work in the administrative area of the company, a part-time schedule which allowed me to continue my professional studies.
I am an administrative assistant and the experience has allowed me to learn a lot.
4. Who was your main motivation when you decided to pursue a career?
Dora Ochoa’s vision, she’s Human Resources Manager in Agrícola Belher and she motivated me a lot. When I told her that I was interested in studying a professional career she suggested I go to college and I decided to do it.
I don’t know If I’m different because I wanted to continue studying, but I always wanted to prosper and I didn’t need that someone convinced me of it.
5. Why did you decide to study a degree in business administration?
Since I was in high school I began to assist in the administrative area of the company and that’s how I came to realize that I liked the department: having the opportunity to interact with all areas and people within a company, etc. .
Now that I’m in college I can put on practice many of the things I learn at school in my daywork and vice versa, there are times when even teachers make comments or give examples and those are exactly the activities that I do at the company. All this allows me to reinforce the knowledge I acquire.
6. What are some of the main difficulties that you have faced during this stage?
The differences that characterize certain people can give place to discrimination or rejection by society if they see someone a little out of place. However, this is an issue that does not affect me because I have very clear what I am and what I want.
Among the main drawbacks to which I have had to face is the transport due to the distance between home and school; maintaining my brothers, etc. They are actually things that I have learned to cope and have achieved slowly.
7. What are some of your plans for the future?
My short term goal is to get my degree and if I may, to work permanently in Belher, here in the administrative department.
I definitely want to stay in Sinaloa. Even if I am originally from Oaxaca and have lived there some years, my whole life is here.
8. Why do you think other young people in your situation decide not to continue studying?
I think this is due more than anything to decide to go by the quickest way. They all start work at a young age, money comes in and they drop out of school.
It’s all part of the people’s culture: if your mindset is to stay where you are, then you will not do anything to prosper.
In my case, I stopped studying a while and I started working. This helped me to open my eyes and aim higher. I sought to become someone and I’m getting there.
9. Have you always received the support of your family?
Sure, they have been my base and strength in all this, and also because one of my motives is to bring all of them up.
10. What would you say to your brothers to continue studying?
In fact we have talked about it and I tell them: “look around you, look at ‘that person’ and visualize yourself, do you want that?”.
My mom usually put me as an example, but I want them to aspire to something even better.
11. Do you detect any improvements in the education that receive migrant children today?
I think that the main progress is related to the use of technology; right now they have everything within reach and that’s excellent. They use tablets, computers and other tools that were not available before.
Today they are given more support so they can be updated and adapted to technological advances. I think this encourages more children to go to school and becoming less resistant.
12. How do you think your life would be if you’d stayed in Oaxaca?
Everything would be totally different. About a year ago, maybe two, I went to Oaxaca and things stay exactly the same, nothing has changed.
The work is mostly on the beach, as it is a fishing and tourist area, people only aspire to that and do not usually continue professional studies.