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Grasping at straws

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Marlin Bucio— A colleague of mine, 23-year-old Dennis Hernandez, is a full-time student at Malcolm X College. He works two jobs, one at Pizza Hut and one working for a valet parking service. He is a very studious person who is undocumented, and he has striven to continue his studies. The monetary aspect of his situation falls under working perpetually, which he has been working under for the past three years to afford his tuition fees.

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Marlin Bucio is an undergraduate student at Columbia College in Chicago.

“What’s most important,” he asked me. “Is it to set one’s mind straight and block all pessimistic opinions, which can lead to an opaque dream?”

Hernandez said one of his favorite quotes is by Aerosmith, and it said, “Dream on until your dreams come true.” He said subsequent to dreaming, he will wake up and contemplate what he must do to be closer to his dream. He said it’s an optimistic mindset.

He said he is very fortunate to have parents who have always instilled values and morals in his every day life. They taught him success is to believe in your self, to venture out and to seek out opportunities that would lead to a feeling triumphant.

“I have had many sleepless nights working and following up with my studies,” Hernandez said. “At times I feel like a walking zombie. It’s extremely overwhelming, but to me, failure is not an option.”

Hernandez said he is not as fortunate as his friends to receive assistance, but it’s a sacrifice he has been willing to endure to fulfill his big dreams.

After graduating high school many students hit a brick wall. It turns out they can’t get a legal job, nor can they receive financial assistance for college. We live in a diverse country where students’ ultimate goals are to keep going and continue their studies until they have reached their ultimate capacity. The number of undocumented students eager to go to college is booming as the assistance dwindles.

An overview of undocumented students was compiled and published by educators for fair considerations. There are approximately 12 million undocumented immigrants of all ages living in the U.S. Considering the amount, we can only envision how many students are set back due to the lack of financial assistance.

The Dream Act, also known as the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act, was introduced in mid-May 2011. In essence, it permits certain immigrants who have resided in the U.S. to apply for temporary legal status. Having done that, they eventually acquire a legal status which allows them to become eligible for citizenship. It depends on whether they attend and complete college or serve the military. States would also be forced to provide in-state tuition rates despite a person’s immigration status.

When one is “grasping at straws,” they find themselves trying to feel hopeful in a bad situation. This is the case for many undocumented students who find them selves dug into a hole and attempting to find a way out. Why deprive intelligence from savvy students who are keen to succeed and better them selves? The immigration population continues to flourish constantly. However, most students are unfortunate in qualifying for financial assistance.

Two students from Texas A & M University, Steven Schroeder and Justin Pulliam, expressed how the Dream Act needs to be repealed when they appeared on Fox & Friends. They argued the “Texas taxpayers should not be forced to subsidized the college education of adults who cannot legally work in the U.S.”

During the interview, host Gretchen Carlson agreed “many, many, many, many, many millions” of taxpayers do subsidize undocumented students’ college education. However, she did not point out how the state gained more than $11 million in 2010 from the tuition and fees paid by undocumented students. The El Paso Times also reported how “undocumented immigrants who live in the state pay sales taxes and other taxes, which contribute to funding higher education in Texas.”

A few years ago, if someone asked what success meant to me, without any hesitation my response would be to have a dream house, financial stability, freedom, a nice speedy car and maybe even a vacation home beside the lake. Realistically speaking, who would think otherwise? When contemplating a bit, the real question became how are these material goods a form of attaining success?  When asking an undocumented student what success meant to him, he answered simply.

“Well given that my education opportunities remain stint in this country, success to me is to receive an education,” Hernandez said. “However, at this point it looks a bit far-fetched. I do not have sufficient funds to accomplish that. Nevertheless; I will remain optimistic and embrace what life brings forth.”


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