My name is Armando Castaneda Lopez, and I was raised in Bakersfield, California. From an early age, I worked alongside my parents in the fields, enduring both the extreme heat and cold. Those experiences taught me valuable lessons about hard work, perseverance, and the world we live in.

Over time, I developed a love for meeting new people and hearing their stories—where they come from, how they grew up, and the dreams they have for the future. On...