I have been following Dream Act since 2001 one year before I graduated from High School. I live in Houston, Texas and I was fortunate enough to continue my higher education. Almost ready to graduate from college but with very little hope to be able to follow my plans of the ideal job. I have been resourceful and found opportunities that have given me experience in my field. I know it is a rare case since many of us have very little opportunities but I reassure you that I will take advantage of my opportunities to rally more support for Dream Act.

I have been with all of you during the defeats in 2003 and 2007. I have followed the calls for action to call and sent postcards without hesitation. It is time to take a proactive approach and prove to this country that we have the talent and strength to become a powerful asset of this society. We will no longer take a passive approach and will become the movement that everyone can identify with.

I know that we don't follow our opposition but there is an advantage of knowing what we stand against. If there is something that I have realized is that our opposition has some great qualities. They are very unified, tenacious, and resourceful. They are very clear about their goal and they will take whatever action to succeed. They come from different religious backgrounds but they don't let that get to them. They have individuals that are willing to cough up a few thousand dollars to send letters and rally more support for themselves.

We have to learn from their approach. We will not sit here and expect for Dream Act by continuing to do the same thing we did the last times. We should do that and a lot more. We have to make this cause belong to someone other than us Dreamers!!! We continue to try and convince ourselves of something that we already support. We as individuals have no voice, we live in the shadows, we have uncertainty in our lives!!! But we have succeeded despite that.

We have to find that voice with other people which will find relevancy in this cause. Our educators should be our first allies. Educators should be aware of the relevance of this initiative as it affects their students. They need to protect the investment that they have placed for many years on us. Otherwise we will not be able to continue our path to higher education. Teachers know of that student that has given up and can't comprehend why. This is why because we have no reason to! But many of us have found the strength to go on and they should loan us their voice. I have called upon all of my past teachers and professors with a call for action. I have called upon all of my college friends in the education field with a call for action. We must contact local, regional and national education organizations to give us their voice and support. They have rights and they should be heard!!!!

The minority groups that have struggled to find their place in this country. I read a post on this forum asking the question: "What would Dr. King do?" The African American community should identify with the rights we are being denied of. Let them be our voice. I am contacting my local NAACP for their support and their network to make their voices heard!!!!

Our friends: we have been there for them and they know better than anyone that we are hardworking individuals. Any organization that you have been a part of needs to stand up and speak up for you. Any fraternities, sororities, service organization, volunteer group, church needs to stand up for you!

I will no longer sit here and expect for us Dreamers alone to make this happen. There has to be a proactive approach to this Dream Act. We should not wait and hope that someone else is going to start this movement. Continue to call but get help!!! We are going to start meeting on a weekly basis and starting a campaign which includes everything that I have mentioned above. If we have to spend a day, calling our VOICES to call others to call others than we will. We have to create an effect that will make a difference this time around. If we have to visit schools to rally more support, we will. If we have to have fundraisers to have the funds, than we will and with the help of our allies!

I hope to hear more from everyone, especially those from Houston, so we can make this time around a great impact.

All men dream but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes to make it possible. T.E. Lawrence