Student gets second chance at American dream from MWSU Campus Watch on Vimeo.
There are more than 65-thousand undocumented college students in the United States. These are people who were born abroad who are not u-s citizens or legal residents who graduated from a u-s high school. Public education is guaranteed through the twelfth grade – but seeking higher education can be difficult. Guadalupe Marquez – a Midwestern senior was brought to this country illegally as a child.
“One day my grandpa woke up and he’s like we’re leaving right now and we’re going to la frontera or the border of ojenada. I was nine years old when it was happening, but I knew what was going on, but it was not my decision to come over her,” Marquez said.
Marquez was a good student and graduated number sixty one out of three-hundred-fifty students of her high school class. But when it came to college she wasn’t hopeful that she’d make it far.
“I always thought I was dumb, but I guess going to school makes you pick up on a lot of stuff really fast. My struggles started when I started to apply for college and how you have to explain to them that you don’t have a social,” Marquez said.
Marquez felt as if she had to live in the shadows, with no way to obtain a drivers license and no way to get a job, legally with no social security number.
“I didn’t work cause why risk it. It was so scary I mean driving with the fear of cops stopping you. I had to drive because it was a need, and my family, because I’m the only one here and I had to take my mom to appointments, go to church, and do my community service, go to school, I couldn’t even get a parking spot at MSU,” Marquez said.
But a legislation that went into affect a little over a year ago has given Marquez and many other undocumented students across the nation a chance to live legally within the U.S. The deferred action for childhood arrivals program also known as DACA gives undocumented immigrants a temporary protection from deportation. Marquez says she feels more at ease with this new program
“I’m worth something more, not only community service wise, but I can work you know and not have doubts and not have fear you know,” Marquez said.
Marquez now has a driver’s license and a job in a field related to her degree. She grew up in this country and only wants to give back to the place she calls home.
“They take a lot of money away from me, a lot of money. I mean and I’m okay with that, I’m okay but I have to pay the United States for me to stay, here, and go ahead you know. I’m okay paying all the high tax and stuff I don’t mind it at all you know to prove to them I’m not here to screw your economy or be in jail. I’m here to help your country out because it’s now become my home,” Marquez said.
Since its establishment in august of 2012 more than half a million people have applied.
