Undocumented person studies in Harvard Fulfills his dream thanks to a scholarship


LOS ANGELES, California - Nine years after to have arrived at this country without documents, the Mexican one Juan Hernández-Fields is the first student of the program "after school all stars" of The Angels that wins a scholarship to study in Harvard.


It studies Engineering Born in Guadalajara 18 years ago, Hernández-Fields crossed the border at the age of nine to be met with its father in Los Angeles and at present, just like all its family, wait that the president Barack Obama carry out a migratory reform to obtain the permanent residence.

"Since small I said: I want to work in which works my dad when be large; but my father works of bricklayer", he told Efe Hernández-Fields, who studies the first semester in the Faculty of Engineering and Sciences Applied in Harvard.

"But he told me: not, I want that study something so that be a leader, as well as the work that do the engineers, because this work is hard", recalled.

"But he told me: not, I want that study something so that be a leader, as well as the work that do the engineers, because this work is hard", recalled.besides the counsels of its father, what marked the difference in its life was a program of student orientation given after the classes in the called school in English "after school all stars".

"In the program I recorded me, of sixth to eighth degree, to learn to use computers", indicated.


"But he told me: not, I want that study something so that be a leader, as well as the work that do the engineers, because this work is hard", recalled.besides the counsels of its father, what marked the difference in its life was a program of student orientation given after the classes in the called school in English "after school all stars".

"In the program I recorded me, of sixth to eighth degree, to learn to use computers", indicated.

"The instructors oriented me and when already was in age to go to the prep school I sought to record me in the school Theodore Roosevelt, in the east of The Angels, because there they have a special program (magnet) in science and technology", explained.

Hernández-fields counts that in the last year of secondary, in spite of the fact that its qualifications were excellent, fell in the account that by have not legal documents could not have access to the scholarships programs infinity or financial aid that have its born companions in the United States.

"But I ascertained that there are universities and private foundations that give scholarships without importing the migratory status", revealed.


In its search of universities, found that in Harvard a student lacking identity papers and of low resources, after to have been of concern with other contenders with highly qualifications, can agree to a scholarship to do reality its dreams as international student.


The scholarship of the Faculty of Engineering of Harvard includes college scholarship, lodging, food and books, and elevates at more than $50.000 annual.

Hernández-fields reveals that was accepted in 15 universities among which in 7 institutions complete scholarships they offered him; but chose Harvard.

"A professor of the school Roosevelt told me that in all the history, since they founded it in 1923, only 8 students we have managed to enter to Harvard", emphasized.


"But for example, of the academy Phillips of Massachusetts, that is a private prep school, each year enter between 12 and 14 students to Harvard", indicated the student who assures that if the education in the system of public schools of The Angels was not deficient the students of zones of low resources would be in greater possibilities to compete and to win scholarships of study in prestigious universities.

Carlos Santini, director associate of the program "After school all stars", told Efe that the program that influenced in the life of Hernández-Fields was created in The Angels in 2002 by the governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, in order to maintaining the busy students after the school teaching him as to be maintained in form, theatrical and visual arts, technology, besides youthful leadership and common service.

"Our program develops in the secondary schools and is financed with funds of the government, foundations and individual donors. At present has extended to 13 cities in EU and the students that attend are 70,000", revealed Santini. "Juan is of our first generation of students and, in spite of the fact that there are other youths that have been accepted in other universities, we feel proud of him because is the first one of our program that manages to enter to Harvard", finalized