06/01/2026
🎓✨ From the Fields to LBAN Stanford University:
A Dream Come True ✨🎓
On May 31, 2026, I proudly graduated from the LBAN (Latino Business Action Network) Scaling Program at Stanford University as a member of Cohort 21.
As the daughter of Mexican immigrant parents who crossed the border in the early 1970s undocumented in search of a better life, this moment means more than words can express. Let me tell my story:
My parents met in a small town called Sunnyside, Washington while harvesting the fields. They eventually married and raised 12 children on an income of farm labor, and as the second oldest, I learned early in life what sacrifice, resilience, and hard work truly meant.
I spent my childhood working alongside my parents and siblings harvesting asparagus, cherries, pears, and apples, and later working long hours in warehouses. I remember waking up at 4:00 a.m. sometimes 3:45 a.m. to work, then changing clothes in the car on the way to school so we wouldn’t be late. Those days were not easy, but they taught me lessons that no classroom ever could.
This weekend, as I walked across the stage to receive my certificate, I looked over at my parents and family sitting in the audience. I smiled and thought, “We did it.”
Because this accomplishment is not mine alone. It belongs to every sacrifice my parents made, every early morning, every long day in the fields, and every lesson they taught us about faith, humility, and perseverance.
Sitting in a classroom with entrepreneurs from across the country was inspiring. I often thought about that little Mexican girl from Sunnyside, Washington, who worked in the fields before school. Never in a million years would she have imagined she would one day be studying leadership, AI, innovation, and business growth at Stanford University.
The LBAN program expanded my vision as a business women owner, leader, and entrepreneur. It reinforced something I have always believed: our Latino community is powerful. Latinos continue to be one of the fastest-growing economic forces in the United States, proving every day that hard work, determination, and entrepreneurship create opportunities for future generations. Today, the Latino community contributes nearly $3.7 trillion to the U.S. economy, making it one of the largest economic ecosystems in the world. Latino buying power exceeds $4 trillion, representing approximately 12% of total U.S. consumer buying power, and Latino-owned businesses are among the fastest-growing segments of the American economy. These numbers are more than statistics, they reflect the strength, resilience, innovation, and impact of our community across the nation.
To my parents: Thank you. Everything I am is because of the values you both taught me, work hard, stay humble, have goals, have faith in God and if you don’t have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all.
To my husband, children, family, friends, clients, mentors, and everyone who has supported me on this journey: thank you for all love and support.
Today, I stand proud as a daughter of immigrant farmworkers, a mother, a wife, a business owner, a Realtor, a tax professional, and a proud Latina entrepreneur.
And to that little girl with dusty boots, dirty nails, and big dreams... It was all worth it. ❤️
👠 My red heels may have carried me across the stage, but it was my parents’ sacrifices, my siblings motivation to succeed, my children’s love, my husbands support and God’s blessings that carried me through life. Cheers to the new chapter. 🥂
With gratitude,
Silvia Ramos | LBAN Cohort 21 Graduate of Stanford University | Class of 2026 ❤️🎓👠🇲🇽🇺🇸
