While most college students spent their summer vacation relaxing, Manuel Gomez was hard at work.
Born and raised in Bakersfield, the son of a Mexican immigrant opted to follow in his father's footsteps as a field worker in the Giumarra Vineyards.
"This is not an easy job to take. It's not an easy process to do,” said Gomez. “You have to get up early in the morning, be one of the first people to get here, and then be one of the last ones to leave to make sure everything has been done correctly."
Enduring the extreme summer heat 6 days a week.
"Seven hours inside the vines. Everything - your whole shirt drenched in sweat, and it's been tough to work out here in the sun," said Gomez.
Yet in still, he does it every summer. The money he earns helps pay for his tuition costs at California State University, Bakersfield.
His hard work will soon pay off. As Gomez heads into his Senior at CSUB he is one step closer to his dream of becoming a California Highway Patrol Officer.
“I can't wait for it,” said Gomez. It's what I've been working on for my entire life."
