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TheDream.US Offers Thanks to Former Scholars Working as
Teachers During this Difficult Time
Washington, DC - Earlier this week, many higher education
institutions and leaders celebrated an Educators
Day of Action to
support DACA. TheDream.US joins these allies in sending a
special thank you to teachers and other educators during
this difficult time. In particular, we send a thank you to
our graduated Scholars who are now working as teachers.
Below, we highlight the stories of Marisela and
Oscar - both former TheDream.US Scholars who are now working
as K-12 teachers. They are two of the 16,000
DREAMers with
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) status who are
working in education, including thousands as teachers.
According to Candy Marshall, President of TheDream.US,
“We are proud to see many of our former Scholars serving
their communities as teachers. As the nation and world
struggles with coronavirus response, teachers and others
working in education are playing a critical role in
supporting and communicating with students, families, and
their broader communities during this difficult time. In the
case of our former Scholar teachers, they are not only
dealing with the anxiety of the burgeoning pandemic, but
doing so while their own futures remain uncertain due to the
precarious state of DACA. We extend to them our appreciation
for their dedication and our support for all they do for
their students and communities.”
Below find two stories of former TheDream.US Scholars who
are now K-12 teachers:
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Marisela is a TheDream.US Scholar graduate now working
as an elementary school teacher. As
she noted in a videoreleased
last November, “I would tell the Supreme Court to let me
do my job. I love my job. I love my students. I love my
school. I love my community. DACA has benefited the US
because a new generation of professionals are ready to
serve the country that they love.” Watch a 2-minute
version of Marisela’s story here
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Oscar Hernandez is a former TheDream.US scholar and
graduate of Arizona State University who is currently an
Arizona public school teacher through the Teach for
America program.
In a recent profile published by
INSIGHT into Diversity, Oscar stated: “Having
experienced extreme unpredictability at the hands of
politicians, my fellow DREAMers and I are resilient and
ready to face whatever hardships lie ahead of us.
Employers should know that they can count on us to work
hard despite the adversity that could lie ahead. At my
lowest point, DACA liberated me from my fears and gave
me the ability to envision plans for myself.
Last week, TheDream.US highlighted our
thanks for several of our graduated TheDream.US Scholars who
are now working in healthcare and on the front lines of the
coronavirus response as nurses (see more here). Additionally,
we continue to offer gratitude for all of our Partner
Colleges as they seek to ensure the health and safety of
TheDream.US Scholars and their entire student and community
populations during the coronavirus pandemic.
About TheDream.US
TheDream.US is
the nation’s largest college access and success program for
immigrant youth, having provided more than 5,000 college
scholarships to DREAMers at more than 70 partner colleges in
16 states and Washington, DC. We believe that all young
Americans, regardless of where they were born, should have
the opportunity to get a college education and pursue a
meaningful career that contributes to our country’s
prosperity.
Read through TheDream.US Scholar story-bank, featuring
powerful personal reflections from Scholars about their
lives, journeys, and future goals here
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