Juana is Graduating!!

As graduation time approaches, We celebrate the accomplishments of many. Today, I celebrate my friend & roommate’s accomplishment, Her Graduation! I was honored to take Juana’s graduation photos & I cannot explain within 25 letters, how proud I’m of her. Her accomplishment means a lot to me, because we have shared life together. Tomorrow, Friday she will walk the stage…& I cannot help but think about all that we have been through together, our‪#‎DREAMer‬ Struggles…From knowing her story of self of how she became undocumented as a little girl, to being involved of one of the greatest organizations at UT Uli UT, to crying together because we could not pay for school so we had to drop out, or sleeping on the floor days, working long hours & not getting paid well, to going homeless, or crying because we lost family members yet we could not go back to our countries to see them. Our “I never got to seem them again” moments did shatter our hearts. However, despite that, we both have celebrated together…our come backs despite the setbacks. Our “I did it”, “I am done,” “I got my DACA” “He/She is not getting deported” moments etc. It really brings tears to my eyes. My Roommate’ story & struggles is one the thousands of stories across the Nation of undocumented students who graduated & will be graduating this year. So today, we also celebrate the many undocumented students across the nation! As undocumented students, the opportunity of going to a 4 year University is not as often. Graduating from college has a special meaning to many undocumented students & our families, because of the obstacles we have to overcome in order to graduate, including difficulties: qualifying for financial aid, lack of resources, some do not have instate tuition, cannot study abroad, major in specific majors, etc. (Just to mention a few). So, Today, I celebrate my friend Juana whom I love so much & will miss her so much when she leaves Austin. frown emoticon but whom I will never forget, because she has been by my side during the good & bad times. When heartbroken, when happy, when hungry, when tired, when needed prayers, etc. I am truly thankful with God for putting her in my life! Finally, Today, we celebrate our parents, our‪#‎ORIGINALDREAMERs‬, who made the decision to leave everything behind to give us a better life. We would not be here today, if it wasn’t for their sacrifices. It is the reason why we will continue to ask for ‪#‎DAPA‬! ‪#‎UndocuStruggles‬‪#‎Dreamers‬!