DACA life changing stories.

[Kawi-ZX6R]

It's been a while since I've posted here. I felt like I would share some of my success here.

First of all I can't thank President Obama enough for this opportunity that he has given us to succeed in this country. Not only that I feel like we help the USA with this opportunity.

It's been 4 years since he announced DACA. I didn't believe it, I was confused but it's basically like giving us an opportunity to be American once and for all.

I used to make 16-18k a year as an illegal working in a shitty job I hated to go to. I hated the fact that after being there for 5 years I was only making $9 hour. I hated to be broke all the time even though I lived with my parents, that I had no education past high school. I hated that when I got pulled over I would go to jail and pay a very high fee for not having a drivers license. I felt hated in this country. I was in the verge of returning to Mexico, and maybe start over.

After DACA, I quit my job and I couldn't believe how many more jobs were available and with better pay. After a few gigs in different factory jobs, I decided to venture in a different field of work: sales. Now it was in a small used car dealership but I was making more money than my previous job.
I had good days and had bad days. Was making a little over 20k a year. Although a little better, I aspire more than just 20k so I decided to go to a tech school. Granted since I live in GA, I had to pay out of state tuition but I decided to go for Advanced EMT.
After graduating, and doing clinicals at different EMS stations, I impressed most of the people and they were bugging me to go work for them. My EMS director bugged me every time to apply with a local EMS station.
I decided to go with a company that I really liked.
Holy crap, I've been offered so many job offers at different counties, cities, non emergency transport.
I settled for a full time position with a non emergency ambulance service and part time EMS( to please the EMS director that helped me so much with tech school).

Now I'm making over 50k a year (really good money in south Ga). I have a brand new car, a paid truck, my own place, and everything I want. Although I pay over 1k in taxes a month, I feel like I still make enough money to get whatever I want. I feel like I'm living the American Dream. I'm not stopping here though. I'm going back to school and do paramedic and after that who knows but it will be something higher than that.

Thank you so much President Obama. I wish I could share this success story with him.



Feel free to share your story.

[Pianoswithoutfaith]

Don't let resident users 2Face or Chyno see this post. They hate successful stories such as this one. They cannot stand anything that doesn't make republicans and trump shine.

[Malign0n]

Congratulations! I wish you the best and hopefully everyone here can get their green cards

[Kawi-ZX6R]

Don't let resident users 2Face or Chyno see this post. They hate successful stories such as this one. They cannot stand anything that doesn't make republicans and trump shine.

I'm not worried about trolls like that. Only hateful and jealous people don't want to see others succeed.

[johnfreyan]

Congrats and cheers! :) I always wanted to be a doctor since I was little, but you know... can't realistically go unless you have at least a green card. I was working under the table like you until DACA, then I immediately got a healthcare-related jobs (first a scribe for about 2 years, then a ED tech for another year) until I got accepted to med school this year. I'm moving this week!

DACA really changed my life, as it did for so many.

[Malign0n]

You got into med school? Wow that's great! What state are you in?

[2MoreYears]

Kudos!!

[MrsK]

Thanks to DACA my husband was able to join the military and got his citizenship, and I am currently waiting for my green card. He has a BA and I have a BS. I'll be starting my masters next spring.. Life couldn't be better, oh wait, it will once the baby arrives :)
God bless the United States of America!

[Chyno]

I'm not worried about trolls like that. Only hateful and jealous people don't want to see others succeed.

I'm not jealous nor hateful, I'm pretty successful. I make more money than you if that's how you value success.

I also thank Obama and Dan Malloy.

Please show me where I said I don't want people to succeed.

[Chyno]

Here is my story.

I came to the USA at age 10, exactly on my birthday. I come from a high middle class neighborhood and family. As I moved in to my apartment in the projects, where the Jews had their own sections isolated from the blacks and Hispanics, I eat my breakfast, lunch and dinner on top of a cardboard box.

I start in 5th grade at a public school where I was placed in Bilingual. I excel in all classes and realize that kids don't care about education. I came from a private school.

I continue to assimilate with the fellow friends, puertoricans, dominicans, blacks, whites. Follow the "hood" life and at the same time excel at school because it is a joke.

My parents were always worried of me because I would just hang out on the streets where Latin Kings and Bloods conquered.

Years passed, never arrested, moved to a better area of the city and school where I was able to stay out of trouble. I was still the smartest in my class. Graduated high school, played varsity soccer, and graduated #15 of my class where I didn't even know what a valedictorian was. If I actually tried in HS, I would be #1. The valedictorian of my class is currently in jail. That's the hood life.

Graduated from HS with a full scholarship to a 2 year CC in EE Technology. I didn't felt what being illegal is until that scholarship offered me a internship in the summer. I had to lie and declined it because of fear of losing the scholarship.

Meanwhile, worked with my dad doing electrical work and construction. Faced discrimination because of the color of our skin and doing construction. A whole different story.

Graduated from CC, no papers, still illegal, no way to go to a University. Worked part time making $8.25 an hour at a Pizza shop. Worked with a bunch of illegals, and made great friendship. Illegals work the hardest in this country. Continue to go to CC for a CS degree. Eventually, Gov Malloy passes a local Dream Act that allowed me to pay in-state tuition to a University.

Immediately applied to EE, accepted, and Obama passes DACA. Went to career fair and everybody wants me. Great GPA, great education, great experience, jobs everywhere. Unfortunately, had to declined internships and scholarships because of not being citizen. It did not stopped me, still applied to more scholarships in order to afford a 11k semester for 3 years.

Graduated from University, a Fortune 500 company and in 1 of the most prestigious leadership programs in the world.

Now I make over 75k, I volunteer and help out fellow dreamers any way I can.

All of this wouldn't be accomplished without the help of my parents, Obama and Dan Malloy.

tl;dr: Came from the bottom, drug infested hood to graduating with a B.S. in EE, a job in a Fortune 500 company, and the most prestigious leadership program in the world.

Also, never arrested. It means a lot when you come from where I am from.

[MrsK]

Lol u guys are funny. Just happy to see a lot of successful stories.

[BobLobLaw2]

Thats awesome news OP. I'm glad you found something you like and are making a living out of it.

As for me, my situation has been life changing as well.

Before DACA I was working at a restaurant making minimum wage + tips. Which wasn't so bad for a 20ish year old me. I loved that I had a disposable income and some semblance of independence.

I think when it all changed for me was when I finally graduated CC and felt as though I couldn't continue paying for college without papers and a well enough paying job. I didn't really know much about grants or scholarships and even then I wasn't very well versed in aplications for school.

I decided to go straight to work doing what I love. Photography. I became an assistant for a photographer in 2011 and instantly began to plan a career in photography.

I worked on music videos, photoshoots and began to make a name for myself as a well respected assistant.

It was easy to work as an assistant because most people in the industry pay cash or check. I was working consistently and meeting amazing people in Los Angeles.

Then DACA came. I applied and was approved. Thats really when things changed. I quit my job and applied for a graphic design position at a company in Los Angeles and was hired. I had no idea that they would hire me without any prior design experience. I've always had a passion for photography but didn't rule out design as a career.

It paid off. I started a new career. Which came with bumps and false starts along the way as well. The industry will literally eat you alive if you let it. I began to add prestigious brands to my resume and was able to jump from company to company.

Thats where I am now. I've managed to become art director for a global car brand at an advertising agency.

I'm living my best life (as cheesy as that sounds) and its all because of DACA.

Some days I think if I were a citizen and just a regular joe would I be where I am now? Would I have had the drive to be where I am now? I appreciate all my blessings and and thankful for the help i've received. But I do think growing up never knowing if you would be able to follow your career really puts all the other BS into perspective. I chased my dream even when I didn't have DACA and i'm so thankful for all my struggles because it has truly made me who I am today.

As for now. I'm still waiting on approval for my third DACA approval. I did my Biometrics on 7/1 and I know its only been two weeks but i'm getting anxious because my EAD exprired in september.

I hope i get approved soon.

[Chyno]

Thats awesome news OP. I'm glad you found something you like and are making a living out of it.

As for me, my situation has been life changing as well.

Before DACA I was working at a restaurant making minimum wage + tips. Which wasn't so bad for a 20ish year old me. I loved that I had a disposable income and some semblance of independence.

I think when it all changed for me was when I finally graduated CC and felt as though I couldn't continue paying for college without papers and a well enough paying job. I didn't really know much about grants or scholarships and even then I wasn't very well versed in aplications for school.

I decided to go straight to work doing what I love. Photography. I became an assistant for a photographer in 2011 and instantly began to plan a career in photography.

I worked on music videos, photoshoots and began to make a name for myself as a well respected assistant.

It was easy to work as an assistant because most people in the industry pay cash or check. I was working consistently and meeting amazing people in Los Angeles.

Then DACA came. I applied and was approved. Thats really when things changed. I quit my job and applied for a graphic design position at a company in Los Angeles and was hired. I had no idea that they would hire me without any prior design experience. I've always had a passion for photography but didn't rule out design as a career.

It paid off. I started a new career. Which came with bumps and false starts along the way as well. The industry will literally eat you alive if you let it. I began to add prestigious brands to my resume and was able to jump from company to company.

Thats where I am now. I've managed to become art director for a global car brand at an advertising agency.

I'm living my best life (as cheesy as that sounds) and its all because of DACA.

Some days I think if I were a citizen and just a regular joe would I be where I am now? Would I have had the drive to be where I am now? I appreciate all my blessings and and thankful for the help i've received. But I do think growing up never knowing if you would be able to follow your career really puts all the other BS into perspective. I chased my dream even when I didn't have DACA and i'm so thankful for all my struggles because it has truly made me who I am today.

As for now. I'm still waiting on approval for my third DACA approval. I did my Biometrics on 7/1 and I know its only been two weeks but i'm getting anxious because my EAD exprired in september.

I hope i get approved soon.

You sent in the application kind of late.

Good luck!

[hooper]

Well, my story is somewhat similar. I worked horrible under the table jobs to pay for my 4-year degree. When I graduated DACA wasn't announced yet. I graduated 2010 and didn't know what I went to school for because I couldn't get a job that I wanted. It was kinda sad because I was making 14k a year, if that. I knew I was smart, but wasn't able to apply for any of the jobs out there. When DACA was announced it was a life changing moment for me. I applied using the little savings I had and after I saw that everyone was getting their EAD around Nov, I started applying for jobs and interviewing without an EAD...yet lol. I applied to 3 jobs and got all three. My first job was as a software developer paying $70k, later I realized that I could be making more money. I worked with really smart people, some engineers came from google and amazon. I took the 70k job because it was a lot for me at the time, and I was so excited to be making 6x more. Later I met a girl and I quit my job to move near her. I did find many jobs and now I'm making over 100k and living with the girl of my dream. Though she's been hinting me to propose now and then lol.

[Chyno]

Well, my story is somewhat similar. I worked horrible under the table jobs to pay for my 4-year degree. When I graduated DACA wasn't announced yet. I graduated 2010 and didn't know what I went to school for because I couldn't get a job that I wanted. It was kinda sad because I was making 14k a year, if that. I knew I was smart, but wasn't able to apply for any of the jobs out there. When DACA was announced it was a life changing moment for me. I applied using the little savings I had and after I saw that everyone was getting their EAD around Nov, I started applying for jobs and interviewing without an EAD...yet lol. I applied to 3 jobs and got all three. My first job was as a software developer paying $70k, later I realized that I could be making more money. I worked with really smart people, some engineers came from google and amazon. I took the 70k job because it was a lot for me at the time, and I was so excited to be making 6x more. Later I met a girl and I quit my job to move near her. I did find many jobs and now I'm making over 100k and living with the girl of my dream. Though she's been hinting me to propose now and then lol.

That is awesome! I am so proud of you! You are what make us stand out in the crowd.

What kind of software developing do you do? Backend? Front end? embedded firmware?