A troubled soul.
I would just like to mention that having a site like this is truly a blessing. Never before have I had the opportunity to discuss with anyone things so personnel to me, things that I have locked away for no one to know, things that are the essence of who I am.
This is my life…
I am a 21 year old immigrant from the poorest slums of Morelia Michoacan Mexico. My father was a civil engineer and my mother a school teacher yet we were barely making enough to eat. My father, like any other rationale human on the face of this planet, decided that this was no way to raise a child. As a result, we immigrated to America. I arrived here legally (tourist visa) with my parents at the age of 1 in search of a better life where we landed in good ole Texas. Obviously, we have overstayed and are undocumented. Unlike some of you here, I have always known that I was undocumented, yet I never understood the consequences till I was older.
Like some of you, I felt the worst impact of being an illegal when I was in high school. It felt terrible not being able to get a drivers license and being self dependent in terms of my own transportation. What hurt the most was not being able to look forward to a college education even though I had excellent grades. I felt extremely bad for myself when all of my friends were getting into all the big schools in Texas and I was just sitting there, making up excuses on why I had not applied yet. Tuition rates for internationals were outrageous, I would never be able to pay for college.
Thus, my family and I planned to return to Mexico where my education would have to take place over there. Obviously, I was extremely disappointed. How was it possible that I was going back to a foreign country that I had barely known….never to return again?—I thought to myself.
It wasn’t until later that I found out that Texas was one of the few states that allowed in state tuition for undocumented students that I was greatly relieved. I still remember the day when my mother told me she had found out about a law named house bill 1403 that allowed students like myself to pursue a higher education. I had tears in my eyes.
I was finally going to be able to take the first step towards realizing my ultimate goal in life…I wanted to be a physician (a surgeon in cardiology).
Where I am at now:
I am currently a Junior majoring in chemistry at A&M University. I will graduate in May of 09 with a bachelors in science. I have a 3.9 gpa and I am about to take the MCAT in August. My extracurricular activities are excellent. I volunteer at the ER at the local hospital, I have shadowed 3 docs, and I’m am an active member of 2 school organizations. Also, iam currently involved in research on synthesis of a novel tripeptide and I almost have enough data to publish my findings in a scientific journal. I wonder if an illegal has ever published something in a scientific journal before 
I have also accomplished all of this while working 2 jobs. By many school’s standards, I am a strong candidate to get into some of the best schools in the country…yet the harsh reality of my undocumented status raises its ugly head again.
I will not be able to attend any state medical schools without being a legal citizen or permanent resident. Medical school is another beast in terms of educational institutions, no longer will I benefit from HB 1403. My only option is to apply to a private medical school, as an international student. However, after doing my research I have found that I would have to pay close to $200,000 in order to attend 4 years. Luckily for me, I have found a couple of physicians who would sponsor my medical education. I am extremely happy, but I am still not out of the woods. The spots for international students are limited and highly competitve, many schools accept only 1 or 2 per year. If I manage to get into medical school as an illegal this will be a huge accomplishment. I have never heard of an illegal making it into medical school. Yet my pursuit is relentless.
However, I still fear that my dreams will die at the undergraduate level if I am not accepted into a private school. I cannot possibly let my dream die here, I would have to go somewhere else. If the DREAM Act is passed I would surely get accepted into any medical school in the state of Texas. I believe I have demonstrated that I have the capacity to be a contributing member to this country. Why do people insist that I do not deserve to be here? Why does the government insist on turning away potential contributors to society? Of what purpose does it serve for them to invest in our education at the k-12 level if they want to bar us from higher education?
…It seems that I have everything that a medical school could ever possibly want in a candidate…yet I cannot meet that ultimately critically important one…a social security number.
By the way, this is me when i broke federal laws...dont worry, you wouldnt recognize me if you saw me.
This is my life…
I am a 21 year old immigrant from the poorest slums of Morelia Michoacan Mexico. My father was a civil engineer and my mother a school teacher yet we were barely making enough to eat. My father, like any other rationale human on the face of this planet, decided that this was no way to raise a child. As a result, we immigrated to America. I arrived here legally (tourist visa) with my parents at the age of 1 in search of a better life where we landed in good ole Texas. Obviously, we have overstayed and are undocumented. Unlike some of you here, I have always known that I was undocumented, yet I never understood the consequences till I was older.
Like some of you, I felt the worst impact of being an illegal when I was in high school. It felt terrible not being able to get a drivers license and being self dependent in terms of my own transportation. What hurt the most was not being able to look forward to a college education even though I had excellent grades. I felt extremely bad for myself when all of my friends were getting into all the big schools in Texas and I was just sitting there, making up excuses on why I had not applied yet. Tuition rates for internationals were outrageous, I would never be able to pay for college.
Thus, my family and I planned to return to Mexico where my education would have to take place over there. Obviously, I was extremely disappointed. How was it possible that I was going back to a foreign country that I had barely known….never to return again?—I thought to myself.
It wasn’t until later that I found out that Texas was one of the few states that allowed in state tuition for undocumented students that I was greatly relieved. I still remember the day when my mother told me she had found out about a law named house bill 1403 that allowed students like myself to pursue a higher education. I had tears in my eyes.
I was finally going to be able to take the first step towards realizing my ultimate goal in life…I wanted to be a physician (a surgeon in cardiology).
Where I am at now:
I am currently a Junior majoring in chemistry at A&M University. I will graduate in May of 09 with a bachelors in science. I have a 3.9 gpa and I am about to take the MCAT in August. My extracurricular activities are excellent. I volunteer at the ER at the local hospital, I have shadowed 3 docs, and I’m am an active member of 2 school organizations. Also, iam currently involved in research on synthesis of a novel tripeptide and I almost have enough data to publish my findings in a scientific journal. I wonder if an illegal has ever published something in a scientific journal before
I have also accomplished all of this while working 2 jobs. By many school’s standards, I am a strong candidate to get into some of the best schools in the country…yet the harsh reality of my undocumented status raises its ugly head again. I will not be able to attend any state medical schools without being a legal citizen or permanent resident. Medical school is another beast in terms of educational institutions, no longer will I benefit from HB 1403. My only option is to apply to a private medical school, as an international student. However, after doing my research I have found that I would have to pay close to $200,000 in order to attend 4 years. Luckily for me, I have found a couple of physicians who would sponsor my medical education. I am extremely happy, but I am still not out of the woods. The spots for international students are limited and highly competitve, many schools accept only 1 or 2 per year. If I manage to get into medical school as an illegal this will be a huge accomplishment. I have never heard of an illegal making it into medical school. Yet my pursuit is relentless.
However, I still fear that my dreams will die at the undergraduate level if I am not accepted into a private school. I cannot possibly let my dream die here, I would have to go somewhere else. If the DREAM Act is passed I would surely get accepted into any medical school in the state of Texas. I believe I have demonstrated that I have the capacity to be a contributing member to this country. Why do people insist that I do not deserve to be here? Why does the government insist on turning away potential contributors to society? Of what purpose does it serve for them to invest in our education at the k-12 level if they want to bar us from higher education?
…It seems that I have everything that a medical school could ever possibly want in a candidate…yet I cannot meet that ultimately critically important one…a social security number.
By the way, this is me when i broke federal laws...dont worry, you wouldnt recognize me if you saw me.
__________________
“Adversity is like a strong wind. It tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that we see ourselves as we really are.”
Last edited by ronaldo; 02-24-2008 at 06:26 AM..
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Quote:
| I wonder if an illegal has ever published something in a scientific journal before |
. Just on this site alone we have a couple people currently working on or have already completed their PhDs or masters so they have already been published numerous times. We're an accomplished bunch....yeah that's cheesy but true. You'll soon discover DREAMers are not that rare, just well hidden.
Welcome and stick around!
Last edited by Youguysareawesome; 02-24-2008 at 09:12 AM..
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"You may say that I'm a dreamer but I'm not the only one..."-John Lennon
Last edited by DREAMAct01; 02-25-2008 at 01:12 AM..
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App.Received:10/22/12CSCBio:11/09/12Approved:12/05/12EAD:12/10/12SS#Application:12/14/12
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Fear is nothing but false evidence appearing real!
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Originally Posted by MaskedLuchador
Hey! Welcome! And can I ask you something? What part of Morelia are you from from?
|
__________________
“Adversity is like a strong wind. It tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that we see ourselves as we really are.”
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