Contact: Michael Earls at 202-494-8555 and [email protected]
TheDream.US Scholar and State of the Union Guest Edwin Herrera Embodies Why Congress Should Finally Deliver for DREAMers
Washington, DC – TheDream.US was proud to see one of our Scholars, Edwin Herrera of Florida, attend this week’s State of the Union address as a guest of South Florida Rep. Donna Shalala. Edwin, and hundreds of thousands of stories like his, embodies why Congress should finally deliver on a solution for DREAMers.
As the Miami Herald recapped, Rep. Shalala noted, “After learning of Edwin’s story and all that he has overcome, I wanted to invite him because his story is what’s hopeful about the American Dream and what’s possible when immigrants are given the opportunity to contribute to their communities and thrive in the workplace or academic setting.” The Herald also covered key details of Edwin’s background and aspirations, writing:
“Herrera was born in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, and immigrated to the United States with his parents when he was 8 years old … He graduated from Miami Dade College in 2015 with an associate’s degree and is studying landscape architecture in a joint bachelor’s/master’s degree program at FIU. Herrera renewed his DACA status but will be protected only until October of 2020. The Trump administration tried to shut down DACA in 2017, but the issue is tied up in litigation.
“Not having documentation is always in the back of my mind; it is a lingering thought that I can never seem to shake,” Herrera said, according to TheDream.US, a national scholarship foundation. “This thought, however, also fuels me to push myself to achieve success and pursue my passions, largely by pursuing a higher education.”
Despite the demonstrated academic record and potential of Edwin and other Scholars, DREAMers remain in limbo, having to plan their lives in increments and facing continued anxiety about their futures and ability to keep contributing to their workplaces, campuses, and communities. The recent report from TheDREAM.US, In Their Own Words, summarized survey results from more than 1,400 of our Scholars, underscoring the uncertainty and anxiety that they face with the future of DACA and a permanent legislative replacement both unresolved.
TheDream.US is the nation’s largest college access and success program for immigrant youth, having provided more than 4,000 scholarships to students with DACA and TPS at more than 75 partner colleges in 15 states and Washington, DC, including Trinity Washington University. The organization believes that all young people, regardless of where they were born, should have the opportunity to fulfill their potential, gain an education, and fully participate in the country that they call home.
- Read more about Edwin Herrera and his story here
- Read a copy of TheDream.US report In Their Own Words, summarizing the responses and implications from a national survey of 1,400 TheDream.US Scholars. Available in full online here
- Read through TheDream.US Scholar story-bank, featuring powerful personal reflections from Scholars about their lives, journeys, and future goals here
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