When did you find out you were undocumented?
So, when I was younger I didn’t know what “undocumented” meant. I knew that I wasn’t born here. My parents kept telling you are not going to have the same opportunities as everyone else and so I did not know what that entailed exactly until when I was in high school and I was hearing everyone else talking about you know financial aid and… having all these resources to go into college basically. Not necessarily go into college but being able to afford the cost to going to college.

But, it wasn’t until I finally revealed my identity as being undocumented with one of my administrators and she told me about all these resources that were available and she helped me along the way. And to this day I am still grateful for her…letting me share my secret with her… because of her that is why I am in college and in a four year institution.

What has your college experience been like so far?
My college experience has been great so far. I have been able to meet so many great people and join dream teams and.. just know people who share the same story as I do. Something that made me validate what I am doing and who I am is accepting my own identity. Once I accepted and shared with others, then that’s how you know who else needs help– who else is undocumented and who else needs resources and basically be able to write my own story down in ink and paper. I joined a writing workshop and through there I was able to finally put all my thoughts down and have some time for myself because… being undocumented is different for everyone else but we all share the same stories [and] through those writing workshops I was finally able to sit down and have my thoughts written. [This is ] something that I didn’t do before because I didn’t know what exactly… I needed to say. So through that workshop I was able to finally have this weight off me. Currently right now, what I am doing is I am working full time and studying full time as well. I am working as in administrative assistant at the Westchester Association and right now just doing medical records, audit forms. I have a plan with my business degree to be able to work my way up and… the goal is work for corporate at Hershey over at Pennsylvania and just be able to have some stability over there… and with my marketing and projects that they have over there. Plus it’s cheaper to live there so that is great.

What is one advice you’d give an undocumented high school student?
The advice I will give to high school students who are undocumented is to share your story whether it is with your closest friends or within your family members. Explore what’s out there and go push your limits; just don’t stay where you are comfortable at… You need to grab all the opportunities that are at hand to you and it is going to get difficult along the way, but that doesn’t mean it is impossible. [Also], surround yourself by good people, do good things and definitely give back to the community in any way shape of form.