By MARIA

Before we get started, I would like to introduce myself. I am majoring in elementary education and graduating this upcoming December. I decided to become an educator because I want to support students of color, especially during these current waves of anti-immigrant sentiment in our country. Throughout my academic career, I never had a Latina/o teacher I could confide about my status nor understood my life as an immigrant student. I believe I can bring change to my community as an educator so that students can see a brown individual in a position of power. In the first semester of my yearlong clinical, the students of color were confused to see a Mexican student teacher in a predominantly white community. By the end of my semester, I learned the importance of teachers of color in our school systems because students need to see role models who look like them daily. All my struggles will be worthwhile if I can bring change to my community and future students. My prospective students are one of the reasons why I keep fighting for my goal.

In the past few days, I came across a tweet that reminded me of how negatively I responded to getting accepted to a community college in my senior year of high school. I grew up in a developing suburb near Atlanta where I met peers of different socio-economic backgrounds. Throughout my life, the fear of deportation was present every step of my academic career. I understood my undocumented-ness, but I did not realize the extent to which my immigration status would affect me when applying to schools and scholarships.

At the beginning of my senior year, college deadlines were rushing past me without me realizing it. I saw my peers in my AP classes proudly proclaim their future college while mocking students who were attending the local community college. Those negative comments about community college affected me when I applied to the nearest community college in the summer after I graduated from high school. I went ahead and attended community college because my parents could not afford to pay for the public nor the private colleges in the state. Also, I did not apply to the limited scholarships available in 2013 for undocumented students in the state of Georgia. I felt defeated and angry at the country that I called home for so many years. Looking back, I understand how the lack of preparation from my part and support from counselors, administration, and schools affected and continues to affect my journey as a first-generation college student.

I attended community college for three years before I graduated with an associate’s degree in Early Childhood Education. During my time at community college, I navigated the campus without support from counselors because most of them did not have the tools to help me— an undocumented student in the South. I accomplished my goal of attaining an associate’s degree by reviewing the school graduation checklist online and registering for the classes I needed to graduate. In retrospect, I believe I did not knock on enough doors for opportunities because I felt disillusioned by administrators’ responses. I felt unprepared to move on to the next step in my academic career. My friends and I helped each other with the graduation and transfer documents, but I had to find scholarships and apply as an international student.

My recommendations before transferring to a four-year university/college include: prepare for your graduation, search for scholarships, and apply to universities. I want to emphasize the importance of checking your school’s website for important dates such as petitioning to graduate. Make sure you have completed your classes so you are eligible for graduation. Some students get their petition denied and transfer to a four-year university without their associate’s degree. If your state/school does not offer financial aid or in-state tuition for undocumented students, then do not transfer to another college without completing your associate’s degree because you will have to take more classes or retake classes you took in your community college. When I transferred to my current school, my checklist showed that I needed 12 extra courses to complete even though I transferred with my associate’s degree. I was worried that I would have to retake the courses because I do not receive financial aid and have to pay out-of-state tuition. I contacted the registration office and thankfully their staff was able to override the class requirements. This is why completing your associate’s degree can save you money and time!

The next step is to search for scholarships on the school’s websites, blogs like My Undocumented life, the DACA Scholars app, or immigrant rights organizations’ websites. I would suggest you begin to search for financial aid two semesters before your expected graduation from community college. Some four-year schools provide scholarships for the upcoming school year. I would recommend looking at the school calendar because it has the due dates for the school-wide scholarships. Also, if you live in lockout states such as Georgia and South Carolina, then you should search for out-of-state schools that accept undocumented students and provide financial help. The Dream.US has scholarships for transfer students and give a full-ride to partner-universities and colleges. You need to weigh your options and apply for scholarships like the Dream.US because many schools do not provide the financial and emotional support for transfer students. So, applying for scholarships and colleges must be accomplished at the same time because you need to know if you can afford to attend those colleges.

My experience as a transfer student was not effortless because I navigated the higher education world without much support. I want undocumented students who are struggling to graduate from community college to prepare themselves for their next step in their academic career. Before transferring, make sure you obtain your associate’s degree. The process can be daunting, but it can be accomplished. Do not give up! You will achieve your dream. Remember that everyone reaches their goals differently!

Many thanks to Elspeth Michaels for her logo design for the Navigating Higher Education Opportunity Series. To see more of her work, check out her website here.

With support from UndocuScholars at the Institute for Immigration, Globalization, and Education at UCLA, the Navigating Higher Education Opportunities Series commissions undocumented students and young adults to write blog posts with helpful advice and information about applying to and navigating college as an undocumented student. Please follow UndocuScholars’ social media on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to learn about their latest projects. And stay tuned for our second series with UndocuScholars, Spotlight Series on College Presidents!

Maria has been living in the south for about 17 years. She transferred from community college in 2016 to a four- year institution. Maria will be graduating in December with her bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this blog post are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of My Undocumented Life, its editors, or any other organization the author(s) may be affiliated with.

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Categories: Life After High School, Navigating College, Navigating High School

Tags: college, education, Immigration, undocumented