Dreaming Out Loud

Being AB-540 is a label for undocumented students, but being a dreamer is an undocumented student who is determined to surpass the limits that we are faced with today and seek possibilities for a brighter and more successful tomorrow. There is a fair amount of AB-540 students but there is but a handful of dreamers. The term dreamer came to be with the DREAM Act which would grant AB-540 student a path into citizenship by going into higher education.

I have overcome obstacles regarding financing my college education by seeking for scholarships and programs that give stipends. There are plenty of scholarships available to the AB-540 community but most of the time they are not being taken advantage of. I had to try twice as hard if not more than documented students to finance my education after high school. I applied to more scholarships than I could remember during my senior year in high school and I continue to apply to them now. I received a guaranteed scholarship from a program called College is Real. I was granted the Ed Fund Scholarship which requires effort even after being awarded. Later I came to know that I also was awarded a scholarship from Summer Math and Science Honors Academy, a summer program I attended at Stanford University. I was denied most of my scholarships but that only motivated to apply to more so I can improve my chances. My parents nor my family could contribute to my college fund because they are not in a financially stable state. I am not eligible for state funding which pushed me to seek outside sources for the financial help.

If I could do things over I would have prepared before senior year. I could have done personal fund raising for my education. Simple things like selling candy or other goods could have made up for the purchase of a book or two now. I could have asked my family for financial support before I graduated high school so that it gave them time to earn money for my education. Raising funds for such an expensive cause take time and planning. During my high school education I was not thinking about how I would pay for college, I just knew I would make it there no matter what. It was a good idea to live by but it did not help me when I had to organize myself with the expenses I was going to have to pay. I look back now and notice that I had a lot of free time to plan my finding and include my own efforts.

To someone who is facing the same situation, I would advise them to take planning seriously and make time for raising money towards your education because in the end it will pay off way more. Be sure to start brainstorming ideas and take action in order to avoid stress.

-Maria, UC Davis '16

The Change

I was very excited when the University of California Davis gave me admission to their university. I was very happy and full of joy. I felt the greatest satisfaction knowing that all my hard work had paid off. I felt that I was finally going to accomplish my dreams, and I was going to attend the university of my dreams. In the process of getting ready to attend college, my father lost his job and my mother had to shorten her hours. I was still fighting to attend UC Davis but I saw the struggles my parents were facing on paying the rent on time and still they were going to help me pay for my housing at Davis. I couldn’t make them go through more. Part of me felt like I was giving up on my fight, but the other part made me feel like I was doing the right thing for everyone. 

As the days passed my decision had to be made. I was very frightened to decline UC Davis. I felt like I was letting everyone down. I made my final decisions after talking to one of the advisers from The Ed. Fund. He explained to me my options about community college and made me realize that there is nothing wrong. He helped me organize a budget. After that phone call I felt good knowing that what I was going to do didn’t make me less than others. 

When I look at this journey I can’t help but to wish for a rewind button. I wish I had done things differently. Even now, when I look at my UC Davis ID, I get a little sad knowing how different things could have been, but I learned a lesson that will forever help me in the future. Throughout this experience I learned that it does not matter where I go, but rather to walk that path even if there are curves and bumps to get there. I am an AB540 student and I don’t get a lot of financial aid. I come from a low-income family and my parents don’t have secure jobs. I just wish I would have taken these factors into consideration and actually be realistic about my chances of going to UC Davis. I wish I had a clear view on what I really wanted to do. Since I took long taking my decisions I register late for classes at my community college, and now I have to wait until next semester to obtain classes that I need to transfer. 

I don’t ever want to see anyone facing the same situation as me. Have your goals set and ready. Be realistic about your goals. It’s not wrong to dream high, but also consider how you’ll get there. Make a budget plan with a college adviser and be sure how much financial help you can get from your parents. Also, know that there is absolutely nothing wrong with community college. Some of us have to go to different paths to get where we want to be. The important thing is to accomplish it.

-Elienai, UC Davis/Contra Costa College 

Becoming a Mustang

If I could ever describe my first few weeks of school, the correct word for it would be astonishing. I was very amazed at the new beginning I was receiving. I could not hold in the excitement any longer, I was a college student. I was a Cal Poly Mustang. If I could ever relieve that feeling, I would probably want to stay with that happiness. 

I decided to go a day early, before Fall Quarter began, to see where my classes were, in what building and room number I would be. I found out that all of my classes were in short distance of each other, so no need for a bike! The only place that was far away from all my classes was my dorm. I live in the Sierra Madre dorms of Cal Poly SLO and the walking distance is about ten minutes from everything. I would have loved to be somewhere close, but just being here was good enough for me. 

My roommate is an international student from India and her name is Nikki. Nikki and I got along right from the start. She's an Environmental Engineer and I am a History major, wanting to switch into Biochemistry. Nikki was very shocked and excited at the same time to be back in the United States, especially in California, a place where she had never lived. She's originally from Massachusetts which is completely different weather from California. Nikki and I were ready to begin a new journey together.

College life was a little something what I expected and something I didn't expect at all. I expected my first quarter to be relaxing and not much studying. Of course, I was very wrong. I did not expect to annotate to excessive amount as I do for my History class, or be giving 5-7 minute speeches during my Public Speaking class on why water was healthy for you. The only class that I was excited about was Calculus. I had taken Calculus in high school, but I didn't really understand it the first time around; my college calculus was very similar. I felt very confident about taking this calculus class, and thankfully I'm proud to say I have an A in the class.

 
 After taking the first leap into college, I am definitely looking forward to more. I'm looking forward to changing my major and taking Chemistry classes, since I've found out I have a passion for it. I'm looking forward to meeting tons of new people, creating more networks and joining more clubs. I cannot wait for spring and summer to get here. I plan to take summer courses, I feel the need to keep studying and keep seeing how much potential I have to myself and to others.

-Julissa, Cal Poly '16 

The Secret of College

As I commuted to Cal State East Bay Hayward on the 26th of September, I was nervous and scared, I didn't know anyone. As I went to my first class that started in the afternoon, I was really shocked of how many people were in the class (less than 30 people). The professors are really nice, they expect everyone to take responsibility for their own work and they're there to help you, not fail you. It took some time to get used to the facility and build courage to take advantage of the resources around the campus.

My first impression of college life was "WOW! I have to wake up this early three days a week?" I also thought that the college classes were really big with lectures and the teachers really didn't care, but they really do, each and every one of my professors took the time to get to know each and every one of the students in the class. Also, I was expecting the classes to assign lots of homework, but they really help work around the situations you’re in and come across. For example, not having your book on time, they will postpone the work, they will help you, only if you ask for it. This semester I'm looking forward to learning a lot and working really hard to accomplish my goals by doing homework and taking my time on the work. I've made a couple of friends during my first week of school, but I am looking forward to meeting more new people as I go through this semester.

-Cathy, CSU East Bay '16

First Weeks of College

My first week at UC Santa Cruz was challenging in adjusting to the routine of college. The work load changes in college and you need to be able to prioritize what you want to see completed. It’s very easy to think that by not fixing small problems before they become bigger, things will get better on their own. By procrastinating, the situation becomes worse before it becomes better.  You are also exposed to a lot of campus resources the first weeks of college, and finding your interests seems difficult with so much going on. College campuses want their students to be engaged in their communities so there are always good opportunities to get plunged in to something you enjoy.  Exposure to many resources along with meeting a lot of people your first weeks of school happens really fast and before you know it you have already completed your first week of college. 

I didn’t know what to expect from college life, but so far it has been an awesome experience. Every situation is new for first generation students, so any type of expectation isn’t real, because no one before you has attended and graduated from college. The cool thing about the transition to college is that there is an abundance of support offered. I always wanted to go to college, and receiving support from family and friends has really made it easier for me. College is also a time in your life to celebrate all your accomplishments so be proud of your journey to college and make the most of the time you have in school.  After finally taking my first leap into college I hope to continue learning about topics that interest me. I look forward to continue meeting new people and look forward to exploring new careers for my future.

-Alejandro, UC Santa Cruz

First Weeks of College

The first weeks of college have been challenging. It’s definitely what I was expecting and more. The workload is substantially large and a lot of study hours are to be dedicated. My hardest challenge is not necessarily the work but the time managing put into the work. 

Time managing is key; you have to balance out your day. My days usually consist of at least one course per day and each class is two hours or more. That leaves the rest of the day to do whatever you need done. This still doesn’t include the online quizzes, projects, and other deadlines you have to satisfy for a certain course. This is where time managing comes into play. I have a PowerPoint presentation due next week, and I’m dedicating about two hours on it a day. At this pace, I should be done with my presentation and all the necessary practice by October 14th. Working ahead of time is a must for these types of things, because you never know what you may run into. 

My impression of college was obviously, lots of work, lots of studying, and a broad social life. I was aware of time managing because many of my tutors, and mentors told me about it and warned me that if I didn’t set up my schedule ahead of time I could be faced with troubles in the future. I listened to them, and thanks to that advice I get more work done with time to spare and fun social activities to attend. I advise everyone to do the same. This has just been the first two weeks and I feel so familiar with the place and my surroundings. I feel so much at home, and the students here are so welcoming. I couldn’t imagine myself elsewhere. My friends are always encouraging me, and we feed off each other’s success. 

The toughest aspect about college at the moment is balancing your schedule. Many students I know have a whole bunch of units, while I have the most relaxing schedule. Majoring in Computer Engineering means that the average student graduates in four and a half years; this means the average units per quarter is 14, I’m only taking 12 this quarter. I plan on taking 16 units the next quarter and 14 the following quarter. I want to challenge myself academically, and prove to everyone back home that anything could be done with hard work, and determination. Many people have helped get on this road, and I don’t plan on letting them down, I want to make my family proud, and I want my siblings to follow along. College is the best thing that has happened to me, and this is just the first leap.

-Enrique, UC Irvine '16