91勛圖厙 DACA Recipient Poised to Become a Doctor, Advocates for Immigration Policy Reform
Now is the time to act without fear.
My only crime has been to dream the American Dream.-Gaby, 91勛圖厙student, Puksta Scholarand DACA recipient
Gabriela GabyS.泭is the first person in her family to graduate from high school. Today, she is athird-year91勛圖厙student, aPuksta Scholar, and anintegrativephysiologyand Spanish double major who ispreparing to be a doctor. Among other awards and recognitions, Gaby was recently accepted into the competitiveattheUniversity of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, which partners with Kaiser Permanente Health Plan of Colorado.
Throughout her yearsas a student in Colorado public schools, which she started attending in3rdthirdgrade after her family relocated to the United States from Mexico, Gabywasa bright and highly motivated student. Since she was a young girl, Gabyhas always wanted to be a doctor;but as an undocumented person growing up in southeasternColorado, shewas unsure if she would everbe able to pursue her dreams.
"College was not an option for me when Istarted high school," Gaby explains. "Ialways knew that Iwanted to be a doctor.泭My mom lost a baby when we still livedin Mexico. My little sister was born, but then she died months later due to the lack of medical attention in Mexico. Also, when I moved to the U.S. and Inoticed the lack of diversity and cultural competency amonghealthcare providersin hospitals, this also influenced my decision to become a doctor," she says.
At the end of Gaby's junior year of high school in 2012, a new U.S.泭immigration policy went into effect:the, which allowed some individuals who, like Gaby, had entered the United States as undocumented children to receive a renewable two-year period of "deferredaction"from deportation. DACA also promisedrecipientsnewfound eligibilityto receivedriverslicenses andwork permits.泭As of 2017, approximately 800,000 individuals referred to as"DREAMers"after the DREAM Act bill were enrolled in the program created by DACA. One of these individuals is Gaby.
"When I receivedDACA, I was so happy because I knew I could start to work and help my family. My family did not have a lot of money andmy parents were working really hard to make ends meet. My dad and my grandpa were workingtwoshift jobs each, day and night. My grandmother was very sick and had lots of medical bills that were hard for my family to pay, because we didn't have Medicaid or any other assistance like that.泭The support my family and I received from our community inspired to me give back.泭Igot involved with the soup kitchen because Iknew it was a way to help others but also help my own family. I learnedthat by helping other people it could help me, too," Gaby says.
After Gaby received her DACA card, she felt a new lease on life. She was able to get a driver's license and drive her family members around legally, which meant she couldstop worrying about what would happen if her parents evergotpulled over. She could get a job and apply for college.
"DACA was really a big change for me. It was a light of hope," Gaby says. "I applied to all the universities in Coloradoand I got into all of them. But then Ichose 91勛圖厙."
Unfortunately for Gaby and the hundreds of thousands of DACA recipients around the country,President Trumpannounced in September thathisadministrationwould end DACAin sixmonths time if Congressdoes notfind a more permanent solution. The administration issuedthisabout the decision to end the DACA program.
Whether or not Congresstakesaction to protect DACA recipients and DREAMers is yet to be seen.泭In the meantime, Gaby is speaking out as a DACA student, and trying to help people understand what it would mean for her and other people like heriffederal lawmakersdonot enact legislationprovidinga permanent legal solution for DACA recipients.
On Wednesday,Oct.泭25 Gabywill be a featured guest on the new podcast "AMPLIFY: Stories of University-Community Collaborations," which is a program of CU Engage in partnership with community radiostationKGNU. And this November, Gaby and two other 91勛圖厙 DACA students have been invited to travel toWashington, D.C.,with the national organizationto learn more aboutpolicy advocacy and civic engagement.泭During their time on Capitol Hill, Gaby and other DACA students willspeak with their state congressionalrepresentatives tosharetheir personal stories and advocate for apermanent legal solutionfor DACA recipients,a position that the 91勛圖厙 administration has advocated for as well.
"When [the Trump administration's]DACA decision happened, the first thingthat came to mind was, 'Everything is over, I won't be able to continue with my education, I'm going to lose my job, what about theinformation I've already shared with the government?' It felt like my whole world was coming down," Gaby relates.
"We were raised to feel fear. I was taughtnot to talk about my immigrationstatus. Not to open the door. Not to talk to the police. For example, mybrother has been here his entire life. He came to this country when he was 8 months old and has lived in Colorado ever since. Now he's 14 years old, and hewants to go to school like me. He's a good kid, a smart kid,but I don't know if he'll ever be able to because something like DACA might not exist for him. So what will he do then?" Gaby says.
"I never would have imagined myself as a person advocating for better immigration policies," says Gaby. "But now Iam, because Im living this. Ihave to help. Soin a way,going toWashingtion, D.C.,is my way of doing that. Iwant to advocate not just for DACA students but for our families. Idont want people to have to stay afraid, and to be in the shadows. Ihave overcome my own fear of speaking out and taking action, and Im not going to quit," she explains.
For other 91勛圖厙 DACA students like Gaby, only time will tell if Congress can come to an agreement and passlegislation that will help her continue her studies and, ultimately, become a doctorserving people in the country she callshome.
"Im not going to give up," says Gaby.泭"The power we have now is to tell our stories and get into people's hearts and make them understand our situation. Our only crime has been to dream the American Dream."
Listen to Gaby share her story on CU Engage's monthly radio show andpodcast: "A M P L I F Y: Stories of University-Community Collaborations."
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