For Immediate Release: July 16, 2020
Contact: Carli Kientzle at [email protected]
Alejandra of Queens College and Aleksander of Kingsborough Community College are TheDream.US’ “DREAMers of the Week”
Washington, DC – TheDream.US, the nation’s largest college access and success program for undocumented immigrant youth, is continuing its “DREAMer of the Week” feature – a weekly profile of a TheDream.US Scholar whose stories offers a powerful example of the incalculable contributions of DREAMers to America.
This week’s DREAMers are Alejandra, a Scholar of Queens College and Aleksander, A Scholar of Kingsborough Community College:
Alejandra
Thanks to TheDream.US, I’ve been able to realize my dream of going to colleg and, hopefully, I will be the first one in my family to graduate. I want to serve as an inspiration to my brother and sister. My journey to college has been rough, but I was able to get through it by working hard throughout high school, and, if I can walk across the stage at graduation and say to my parents, “I did this for you,” it will all be worth it. Crossing the border was not easy; they made many sacrifices when coming to the United States because they wanted to give my siblings and I a better life, which are paying off.
When I was in middle school, I learned that I was undocumented. My parents knew that I would see that my passport was different from my siblings’ passports, so they explained to me what it meant to be undocumented. They told me that I just had to be patient and wait for a law that would give me the chance to gain legal status. The most important thing that they told me was to not feel like less of a person just because I don’t quite have the same opportunities as people who are considered to be U.S citizens.
My journey started in 2000, when I was only 6 months old and had arrived to the U.S along with my mom, dad and grandma. My mom was able to complete some college and was able to find a job as an executive secretary in Mexico. My dad was only able to complete some high school which didn’t benefit him when he was looking for a job. However, they decided to make the challenging journey across the border.
Now, my dad works at a restaurant in Manhattan. My mom works at home, making sure that my siblings and I have food to eat, a clean house to live in and clothes to wear. Both my little brother and sister were born in the U.S. My sister is currently a junior in highschool, and my brother is in 7th grade.
In high school, I finally began to feel like the U.S. was my home. Despite that, I still had a hard time getting through high school, but I participated in activities that I cared about and that helped. I was part of the music band and participated in the National Honor Society. I also ran on the cross-country team and played handball during my sophomore year. I even had the chance to take a few college courses while I was still in high school. One of the reasons why I am part of this scholarship is because of my guidance counselor. She helped me so much on my journey to college. She found scholarships and resources, and, most importantly, she never made me feel any less important or worthy because I was a DREAMer. She was always looking out for me as well as my parents and I am very thankful for that.
TheDream.US has given me the opportunity to integrate myself into the higher education community, something I’ve dreamt about for so long. I am excited to start my college experience and meet new friends. I think this will be a chance for me to feel equal among my peers and find professors and mentors to support me on my journey.
Aleksander
My parents knew that if I applied myself, I could have a really promising future here. They always followed my classes and school events and never accepted excuses. Without TheDream.US – and this access to higher education – I would probably be working and trying to make something out of my life, just like my parents taught me to.
My degree will give me a chance to take a step up in life. I want my college experience to help me become a better person, and I want a career where I can make enough money to take care of my mom and dad. I don’t want them to ever have to work again, and I’d like to pay them back for everything they sacrificed for me. My degree in computer science will help me start my own company and make an impact on the technology world.
DACA has opened a lot of doors for me, including being eligible for this scholarship. I like that I have legal status, at least for right now. The most stressful component of potentially losing my status would be the uncertainty as to whether I can stay in the place I call home. People who are skeptical of the need for DACA/TPS should know that it is a NEED for so many people around them. I would tell potential TheDream.US applicants that anything is possible. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. My parents are proof that hard work and commitment pay off.
In our small town in Mexico, it was difficult for my parents to make enough money to support our family. We decided to move to the U.S. but in small waves. My parents came first, for a few years, and I stayed with my grandmother. Those years were tough. I missed my family, but I understand now that they did it for my future. When I was six years old, after they saw the opportunities I could have here, I joined them. The U.S. seemed so different from Mexico when I first arrived and learning a new language was challenging. Luckily, I had plenty of supportive teachers and friends along the way who helped me improve my English.
A few years later, I became an older brother. Since my parents worked long hours to support our family, I was charged with raising my little sister. I started viewing the U.S. as my home when I moved to New York. I always knew I was undocumented, but the people in New York were always so kind to undocumented people like me. I grew up in New York, and it is the only home I know.
_________________________
TheDream.US has provided over 6,500 college scholarships to DREAMers at more than 70 partner colleges in 16 states and Washington, DC.
The Scholars’ stories are especially powerful and poignant following the Supreme Court oral arguments on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, an executive action, which provided temporary legal protection for undocumented youth, terminated by President Trump in September 2017. The legal limbo and uncertainty is affecting Scholars’ lives, health, and futures and threatens to keep Scholars from fulfilling their incredible potential.
- Read through TheDream.US Scholar story-bank, featuring powerful personal reflections from Scholars about their lives, journeys, and future goals here
- Hear from two TheDream.US graduates, now working as a teacher and a nurse, discussing the impact of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program online here
- Watch a new video featuring TheDream.US college graduates online here
###