SOLEDAD — Soledad resident Martin Alfaro graduated from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo this past Sunday, June 18, with a degree in agriculture and environmental plant science, with a concentration in plant protection and crop science minor.
Alfaro, 26, had a different journey to earning his Cal Poly degree, as he commuted to school from Soledad for three hours almost five days a week for the past two years. Alfaro traveled with his younger brother Daniel, who also graduated with him, and his sister Maria.
Alfaro has since moved to Atascadero after the first quarter of school. The family loves Cal Poly so much that their sister Adriana lives on campus and plans to graduate in 2018. Alfaro is the eldest of eight brothers and sisters.
“I never thought I would attend college with one of my siblings,” Alfaro said. “I was fortunate to take courses with not just one but three.”
Alfaro graduated from Soledad High School in 2008 and started a family with his wife Liliana, with whom he has two sons, Dereck and Diego.
To support his family, Alfaro took a job as a general farm laborer starting with Huntington Farms in Soledad in 2011 and working his way up to become an assistant to the company’s in-house pest control adviser. His job includes managing pests that threaten lettuce and other crops and he will be an important resource to his employer in a wide range of concerns related to plant health.
“Working at Huntington Farms sparked my interest in pest management and farming,” Alfaro said. “After three years of putting off my education, I decided to return to school.”
Alfaro completed two years in community college while working full time, obtained a pest control adviser license in 2015, and started at Cal Poly that fall.
“Before starting my first quarter, I was nervous at how it would prepare me for a career after graduation,” Alfaro said. “Today, I feel that Cal Poly has given me the foundation that I need to succeed in my career.”
Earning a 3.4 GPA, Alfaro credits the help of “amazing faculty and counselors” who were “always there from me.”
“Working full time and my daily commute took valuable time from my studies,” Alfaro said. “The faculty helped me overcome these obstacles and succeed in my education.”
