Flor Gonzalez and Melissa Cisneros studied hard in school while their parents toiled in the fields.

Their parents worked from dawn to past dusk for little pay, all for one thing: A dream for a better life in the United States, with education for their children paramount. Still, there were significant hurdles. Flor and Melissa couldn’t ask their parents for help with their homework — it was all in English. At times, their family migrated from place to place in search of agricultural work, uprooting the kids from school. And there was never much money.

None of those things stopped them. Flor, 17, and Melissa, 18, will graduate this year from Estero High School’s medical academy program, already well prepared for a career in nursing, which they both will pursue at Edison College. Soon, they both will fulfill the dream of many children of migrant farm workers: a college education.

Local advocates assembled more than two dozen high-achieving juniors and seniors on Wednesday at Florida Gulf Coast University to help them further their education after high school. All are migrant students, which means their parents or guardians have moved in the last three years to seek agricultural work. The students selected to attend, all from Lee County Schools, have a GPA of 2.5 or higher, giving them a fair shot at attending Florida Gulf Coast University or Edison College after graduating.

Melissa said her mother pushed her toward the medical profession, where nurses and other professional workers can earn a good wage. Melissa wasn’t as sure.

“When we actually went to a hospital, that was when I knew it was what I wanted,” she said. She plans to go to Edison for two years, then head to FGCU for the last two, hoping to become a nurse practitioner.

Migrant students are especially at risk for dropping out, and many have trouble getting into or finding financing for college. That’s why it’s especially important to make sure they have access to information about scholarships, said Lee Schools’ Migrant Coordinator Emilia Berni. Wednesday, she brought together students and representatives of FGCU, Edison College, High Tech Central and the Florida Interstate Migrant Program.

“The intimidation factor of going to the office, often not knowing the language, or not knowing where to go, it makes it hard,” Berni said. “This gives them a chance to come and to talk to people from colleges.”

Maria Melara, an Edison student representative, encouraged the teenagers to think big, even if they’ve been told college isn’t a possibility.

“Sueñen. Dream, and you can do whatever you want,” she said.

It’s true that some migrant students, whose parents and extended family often have no experience with college or even high school, have a difficult time with the cost and complicated forms they need to access higher education.

“Many of them are the first in their family to graduate from high school,” said Brigita Gahr, a program specialist with the Florida Interstate Migrant Program. “Many of them have no idea about what they’re supposed to do.”

For a small number of students, academics aren’t the barrier to college — legal residency is. Some migrant students may have attended school in Florida for years, but without a Social Security number, their chances for post-secondary education are limited.

Friends of Gil Gonzalez, 18, praise him for his talent in visual art, and in his three years in the United States, his English has become nearly fluent. Many colleges and universities even offer scholarships for students who want to become teachers. But with his immigration status in limbo, Gil won’t get one.

“I want to be an art teacher, but I don’t know,” he said.

FGCU is one of six Florida universities to accept applications from undocumented students. If admitted, however, the students would have to pay out-of-state tuition — more than five times what other Florida residents pay. They are not eligible for federal financial aid or most scholarships. For the most exceptional students, FGCU offers a few tuition waivers. Even if they were to get the grant, there’s still regular tuition to pay.

While bills have been introduced at both the state and federal level to help some undocumented students gain access to higher education, lawmakers have not taken action at either level.

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