What are you studying in graduate school and what are your future career plans?
In undergrad, I majored in International Studies. I also have a certificate in Latin American Studies which is the area I focused on. I minored in Spanish and Political Science. In graduate school, I’m currently in the Master of Liberal Studies program in the track of International Studies. So, looking at globalization and international politics, but my ultimate goal of the career path that I want to pursue is in diplomacy, hopefully. So, working in the international arena and making change and being impactful in that space. So, hope to be in the foreign services in Nigeria where I get placed in different areas and serving the nation itself as well as providing solutions to b.s problems of the world.

How did you deal with the obstacles of being undocumented?
There were a lot of obstacles that I encountered. A lot of them were just understanding I guess the process of applying [to college] considering my status and then what I was eligible and what I was not eligible for. As far as hurdles [and what I did about them], I think it was just straight up for me where I would ask questions that I did not have the answer to and if I needed the answers, so that was good.

How were/are you able to afford undergrad and grad school?
So as far as how I was able to afford [college], it was mostly for undergrad, it was through my parents where everything was paid out of pocket from the first semester all the way to the last. And then even with graduate school, it was also through my parents; where the first year they paid for it. Then there was a financial difficulty that I had face in which I wasn’t sure if I was going to continue and so that was how I was able to apply for the CUNY Becas program, Becas Scholarship, in which then provided me for the financial aid for my last two semesters. The CUNY Becas program I think is really great. It is a big community of individuals who are in the same situation as me so there is a share bound that goes around. And also being around them and seeing what it is they are interested in is very inspiring to see that. So I think the Becas program is a big community of other individuals who are in the same situation as you and who also have ambitions they want to pursue it is a great place to be in.

Were you able to find someone or something where you felt like you belonged?
As far as belonging to the community itself that is slightly different. In undergrad, I wasn’t as active in anything. It wasn’t until my junior year that I started to be active which was how I met other individuals who are in the same situation and I started to be involved in the CUNY Dreamers organization. But for me, being a part of it…. I don’t think I felt belonged in that community because the situation itself was not something I particularly cared for or evaluated myself at the moment at that time in the past. So, I just felt like I was in solidarity with the movement itself because I can relate to it and it was a way of me to step into my potential and just being more active in the community itself.

What is one advice you’d give an undocumented high school student?
Yeah, I mean I would just say keep reaching out to people and not be afraid to share what your situation is to people because that is the only way of finding the answers. If you are not being honest about it to yourself and to other people then really the help is not going to be there. And so, you know trying to reach to friends, trying to reach out to family, trying to reach out to your community and just expressing what the situation is and seeing what resources are available for you because that’s how the resources are shared. It’s when there is a need for it and then that’s where the search begins and that’s the answers are being found.