By Travis Souders

Helping a 5-year-old student, Camila, thumb through the pages of “Chicka Chicka Boom Boom,” Noemi Miranda Hernandez laughs, smiling at the colorful illustrations as the two read the book together in English.

When Miranda looks at students like Camila, she occasionally still sees herself.

Miranda, 20, is a tutor, working at McKinley Elementary School in Gridley through her California State University, Chico internship with BCOE’s California Mini-Corps. Mini-Corps supports migrant students and their families as they navigate the challenges of education in a new language and culture. For Miranda, this work is deeply personal—a way to reflect on her own journey and honor her family’s sacrifices.

“I think we all want to be that person that we needed when we were younger,” Miranda said. “I have an opportunity where in some ways, I can connect with my students better than other teachers can connect to them.”

Through Mini-Corps, Miranda tutors six students at McKinley Elementary, all of them from migrant backgrounds. She sees herself in their struggles. Her brother, Alberto, faced similar challenges, bouncing between languages and schools, often misunderstood by teachers who didn’t grasp his language barrier.

“When I see students who don’t speak English, I don’t just see my students,” she said. “I see my siblings. I see my brother, who struggled because of the language barrier and was treated differently as a result.”

Miranda’s bilingualism and cultural understanding make her an anchor for her students. In classrooms where teachers are often monolingual and predominantly white, she provides a vital bridge.

“Sometimes, my kindergarten students will try to understand the teacher but just can’t,” she explained. “I’ll step in and explain it in Spanish, and you can see the relief on their faces. They finally feel understood.”

Her students, she notes, often excel in subjects like math, where language barriers fade. But without support, their potential can go unnoticed. “In Spanish, they excel,” she said. “But because they don’t speak English fluently, they’re underestimated. It’s heartbreaking to see their talents overlooked.”

Miranda’s story begins with her parents, Martín and María, who emigrated from Michoacán, Mexico, to build a better life for their children. Her father left school after sixth grade to work and support his family, while her mother, the eldest of her siblings, completed the equivalent of an associate’s degree in Mexico before following Martín to the United States. They first settled in farm labor housing on the outskirts of Gridley, sharing a small space with another family.

“When we moved into our house in town, I remember thinking, ‘Oh my God, we’re rich,’” Miranda recalls with a laugh. “It felt so big compared to where we were living before.”

Like her and her siblings’ educations, that house symbolized her parents’ hard work and the dreams they carried for their children.

“They worked so hard to put us in a position to succeed,” she says. “It would feel like a waste if we didn’t do something meaningful with that.”

For Miranda and her siblings, education was the path forward. Her older brother Alberto and sister Valeria have both earned master’s degrees. Valeria, now a teacher, is one of Noemi’s fondest role models. Now, as Miranda pursues her own degree in liberal studies, she is taking their family’s commitment to education one step further.

About CA Mini-Corps

California Mini-Corps, a program operated by the Butte County Office of Education, has a storied history of supporting migrant students. Created in 1967, it was designed to address the unique challenges faced by children from migrant farmworker families, many of whom struggle with frequent relocations, language barriers, and cultural transitions. Mini-Corps tutors, often bilingual college students with migrant backgrounds, provide one-on-one and small-group instruction to help students succeed academically and socially. The program also prepares future educators by immersing them in classroom settings early in their careers.

Miranda’s work goes beyond academics. She offers her students a sense of belonging and pride in their identities.

“I want them to know their culture is appreciated,” she said. “Speaking more than one language is a strength, not a weakness.”

Mini-Corps has also been transformative for Miranda. The program has allowed her to work in diverse classrooms, learning firsthand from different teaching styles and strategies.

“It’s made me more self-aware,” she says. “Sometimes I think I’m explaining something clearly, but if my student doesn’t understand, I have to step back and rethink it. It’s a skill I’ll carry with me into my own classroom one day.”

Miranda dreams of teaching in a dual-immersion school where she can celebrate her students’ bilingualism. Eventually, she hopes to pursue a master’s degree and perhaps move into roles like principal or professor.

“When I was growing up, there weren’t teachers who looked like me or spoke Spanish,” she reflects. “That’s why it’s so important for me to be that person for my students.”

Miranda’s story is one of perseverance, gratitude, and an unwavering commitment to community. She carries her parents’ dreams with her as she builds her own.

“I feel like I’m living out my dreams and theirs,” she says. “My parents are so proud of us, and that makes everything worth it.”

Travis Souders is the editor of BCOE Today and the Communications Officer at the Butte County Office of Education.

Those interested in becoming a CA Mini-Corps tutor, click here.