Several days prior to Undocu-Ally Week at Marquette, Campus Ministry hosted “Soup for Substance: How to be an Undocu-Ally.”
The event, which took place on Oct. 16, highlighted the stories of “Dreamer” students at Marquette. People who are Dreamers came to the United States as minors without official authorization but are protected under the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act.
“Soup for Substance” also included a short presentation about undocumented students’ adversities and a panel of four Marquette students to share their experiences.
Staff member Jacqueline Black, Director for Hispanic Initiatives and Diversity & Inclusion Educational Programming, coordinated the event. Maria Tijerina, Dayane Garcia-Avila and Nestor Ruelas were some of the students who spoke about their own experiences as Dreamers at Marquette.
Black presented background information on issues and policies that affect undocumented students in the United States, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and the DREAM Act. After this presentation, the panel was asked about their experiences as undocumented or Dreamer students, mentioning their challenges and the support they have received at Marquette and other communities.
Tijerina, a second-year graduate student, spoke about finding a community at Marquette.
“It’s very difficult to say what your status is, especially because you can’t tell what someone’s status is,” Tijerina said. “Oftentimes, when I talk to other people about my status, they always feel bad for me, and it’s one of those things where they compare it to their own story, and I don’t know what their story is.”
Avila-Garcia, a senior in the College of Engineering, shared similar experiences with Tijerina. She also spoke about her and her family’s healthcare troubles.
“I would also say a big [challenge] would be healthcare and dental care. Especially for me, my parents, and my brother, because we can’t go to the clinic and easily say, ‘Can we get an appointment?’” Avila-Garcia said. “It will take months, usually about six months, and in that case, my mom and dad just don’t get medical care.”
Nevertheless, even with these challenges as undocumented students, the panelists spoke about the support they have received from Marquette and beyond. One of the panelists, a student who wishes to remain anonymous because of her status as an undocumented Dreamer, mentioned how helpful the Urban Scholars and Les Aspin programs have been to her.
“Urban Scholars is a program at Marquette University that mainly helps lower-income and minority students in urban areas. This program provides full-tuition scholarships, which is definitely one of the biggest reasons why I am here today,” she said. “Other opportunities, like the Les Aspin program, allowed me to intern in Congress. The experience was the absolute best help I could get in furthering my career.”
Programs like Urban Scholars and Les Aspin provide some undocumented students with the opportunity to thrive. Ruelas, a senior in the College of Communication, discussed how advisors and faculty members create a support system that listens, understands and encourages him to thrive.
“For me, one of the biggest support systems are advisors and passionate people who are willing to understand where I was coming from and what my situation was,” Ruelas said. “I had one advisor that was super passionate, who said, ‘You’re going to do big things. You’re going to go to a highly ranked university, get an education and help people along the way.’”
The “Soup for Substance” event was informative about background and general information on undocumented students and an opportunity for members of Marquette Dreamers to share their voices and focus on their experiences at Marquette and beyond.
Undocu-Ally Week at Marquette takes place Oct. 21-25. The full list of upcoming events being hosted by the Marquette Dreamers student organization, the Office of Inclusion and Belonging and other campus partners can be viewed here.
This story was written by MaryKate Stepchuk. She can be reached at [email protected].
