Growing Together
Godoy Family Cultivates Success at Cal Poly
BY ANNMARIE CORNEJO
For the Godoy family, Cal Poly will always hold a special place in their hearts. In June, three members of the Godoy family walked across the stage after completing their degrees at Cal Poly, while a fourth finished his first year as an undergraduate.
Edgar Godoy, a senior biological solutions advisor at BioWorks, returned to higher education to earn his master’s degree just in time to study alongside his sons, Edgar Jr., Pablo and Carlos. Bound by kismet, the father and his three sons supported each other through their academic journeys — setting the path forward for each of them.
In June, Edgar Godoy graduated with honors earning a master’s degree in agriculture with a specialization in plant protection, Edgar Jr. (Agricultural Systems Management, ’22) a master’s degree in agriculture with a specialization in bioresource and agricultural systems and Pablo a degree in biology. His youngest son, Carlos, is majoring in wine and viticulture.
Godoy has worked in agricultural pest control along the Central Coast for decades. When it came time for his oldest son, who had a growing interest in agriculture, to apply to college Godoy recommended that he consider Cal Poly. He was admitted into the BioResource and Agricultural Engineering Department.
Godoy had long divided his time between Long Beach, where he had raised his family after emigrating from Guatemala, and his work in Oxnard. His son’s admittance to Cal Poly was a beacon that it was time to relocate – bringing the family together under one roof to help shoulder the costs. Godoy and his wife Isela Garcia decided to move the family to San Luis Obispo. “My oldest son opened up this opportunity for everybody,” said Godoy. “At the time, I wasn’t even thinking about going back to school.”
As the family settled into their new home, his youngest sons attending schools in San Luis Obispo, they also began to set the goal of attending Cal Poly. Godoy learned that his company would support his pursuit of an advanced degree – also setting his future in motion. They set the course, with each of them gaining admittance over time.
“I’m really interested in school and love to learn,” said Edgar Godoy. “The ultimate motivation to get my master’s degree was that I wanted to belong to the local community of graduates that I interact with every day in my profession.” In the field, Godoy said that up to 75 percent of the pest control advisors he worked with on the Central Coast were graduates of Cal Poly – encouraging him to consider returning to school. “The way they talked about Cal Poly and their experiences and the impact the school had on them was inspiring,” he said. “I was like a stranger there and I knew I wanted to be a part of the Cal Poly community and alumni.”
In his role as a pest control advisor, he had interacted with researchers at Cal Poly for product trials. That relationship helped him connect with plant pathology Associate Professor Shunping Ding in the Wine and Viticulture Department who had received a grant related to the study of bio fungicides to manage powdery mildew in winegrapes – a direct correlation to the work Godoy was doing in the industry. With that, and his employer’s blessing, Godoy began his path to a master’s degree.
He took classes as he was able, balancing a full-time job and his three sons’ own academic journeys. His family worked together, living under one roof to consolidate living costs, each of them working jobs outside of classes and doing research work to help pay for tuition. His oldest son, Edgar Jr., graduated first with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural systems management and began doing irrigation work for AgroSource Irrigation, a design-build irrigation and supply company in Santa Maria. He then returned to Cal Poly to while working to pursue a master’s degree to further his work in incorporating automation into irrigation designs at wineries. Over the course of their studies, the father and son took two classes together. “I tried to be a role model for my sons,” Godoy said. “But they helped me along the way, too.”
Godoy said that his coursework during the past three years solidified what he had always known about Cal Poly – that true industry leaders graduate from the university. “The students around me were great students,” he said. “They supported my work and at the same time I felt like I could share my experience in the industry with them. This is a good generation in terms of dedication and drive for education with the goal of succeeding in life.”
Pablo, his middle son, wants to be a doctor. After graduating with a degree in biology this spring, he was admitted to a premed program in the East Bay. “It is our first experience with one of us pursuing a different path and we are supporting him in his dreams. Graduating now allows us to support him in his pursuits and our youngest son in his time at Cal Poly.”
Looking forward, Godoy aims to expand his career by incorporating more research into his work, building on his foundation as a Pest Control Adviser. “My graduate education has strengthened my role in sales and business development, deepening my ability to collaborate with experts in the research arena. Being part of the Cal Poly community has enhanced my professional network and positioned me for continued growth into roles that complement and build on my current expertise.”
While their journey together in higher education is finished, each of the family members will continue to use the tools they gained at Cal Poly to realize their dreams. “It was meant to be,” Godoy said.
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