{"id":109896,"date":"2020-05-04T15:00:02","date_gmt":"2020-05-04T20:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thechicagoschool.edu\/insight\/?p=109896"},"modified":"2020-05-06T12:02:10","modified_gmt":"2020-05-06T17:02:10","slug":"my-daca-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thechicagoschool.edu\/insight\/for-our-wellness\/my-daca-story\/","title":{"rendered":"My DACA Story"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"One
Sthela and her family in Mexico in 1998<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It was summer of 1999 when I\u00a0<\/span>had to pack my whole life into two\u00a0<\/span>piece<\/span>s<\/span>\u00a0of luggage and move<\/span>\u00a0from Mexico C<\/span>ity<\/span>\u00a0to Chicago. Unfamiliar with the language, the culture and with little to no family or friends<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>my family and I started a new life. T<\/span>his was a<\/span>\u00a0start with<\/span>\u00a0intentio<\/span>ns of a brighter, safer future<\/span>\u00a0and in search of great<\/span>\u00a0opportunities<\/span>. From age eleven<\/span>, I<\/span>\u00a0attended Chicago<\/span>\u00a0Public S<\/span>chools and graduated<\/span>\u00a0high school<\/span>\u00a0in 2006. Not attending college was never an\u00a0<\/span>option<\/span>. H<\/span>owever<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0the expenses associated with it were a challenge<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0Not having a status meant no federal aid and limited opportunities for any scholarship.<\/span><\/p>\n

My\u00a0parents<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0who\u00a0<\/span>brought us\u00a0<\/span>to the States through<\/span>\u00a0a<\/span>n<\/span>\u00a0extended family member petition<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0were my financial support<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>T<\/span>hrough their hard wo<\/span>rk I was able to attend college<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0Finances dictated my ability to attend full time and sometimes part time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Sthela
Sthela Saldana-Gonzalez<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Thankfully, Illinois is a state in which even without a status, if you\u00a0<\/span>reside in the state you<\/span> can pay\u00a0<\/span>as a resident and not as an international student, which would have almost doubled tuition.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>In 2012 I graduated\u00a0<\/span>with a bachelor\u2019s degree in psychology. The reason<\/span>\u00a0I was able to go right into my career<\/span>\u00a0was because the program DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood A<\/span>rrivals) came along<\/span>\u00a0a few months prior to my graduation<\/span>. DACA allowed me to receive a work permit and tru<\/span>ly changed my path. In addition<\/span>\u00a0to a work permit, DACA came with other beneficial things like being able to have credit, therefore allowing me to purchase a car and most importantly to get a driver\u2019s license and state ID.\u00a0<\/span>The pro<\/span>gram allows for renewal every two\u00a0<\/span>years, which\u00a0<\/span>until today\u00a0<\/span>has allowed me to maintain some stability<\/span>\u00a0and to be independent<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Sthela in 6th grade<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As years went by and my desire to continue my studies grew stronger, I doubted the possibility of being able to achieve a graduate degree. <\/span>DACA is incredibly powerful and has changed the lives of many, however it is not permanent and there is always the possibility of it being removed. For years, this fear prevented me from pursing a higher degree. My fears were to not be able to work anymore, which would lead to hav<\/span>ing<\/span>\u00a0no way to sustain myself, pay for school or additionally be in debt with no possibility to utilize my degree to work. With my current status, making long term plans is not possible. Different to many who ma<\/span>ke\u00a0short and long term\u00a0plans, two\u00a0<\/span>years is as far as I can plan with assurance. In 2019, right after my last DACA renewal, I decided to take <\/span>the risk and begin my path towards a master\u2019s degree in Industrial Organizational Psychology.<\/p>\n

\"Sthela
College Honor Society induction<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I chose this degree because wor<\/span>k is a great part of individual<\/span>s<\/span>\u2019 <\/span>lives. I recognize that with this degree I can impact organizations in how they create and sustain the best environments for their employees. My goal with this degree is to impact people in the workforce, specifically in non-profits, because those are the ones reaching and working with the community every<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>day. Although DACA provides incredible support in r<\/span>eaching my goals, even with the program, financial hurdles are still present. The program does not allow for application to student loans (unless a US citizen can co-sign), federal aid is off limits as well as any available federal work-<\/span>study programs. My hopes for the future are to be able to graduate at the end of 2020 and be able to jump right into my new degree.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Sthela
Family Christmas 2019<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For those who want to support the DACA community<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0I\u00a0<\/span>recommend a couple of things.\u00a0<\/span>Many people eligible for the program\u00a0have fear\u00a0of applying due to lack of education around the benefits of it. Workshop opportunities to educate those who may be eligible could make a great impact. Another great hurdle for many is the cost\u00a0<\/span>of the program. T<\/span>he initial application as well as every renewal\u00a0costs\u00a0$495. Financial support for those eligible is a great way to\u00a0<\/span>help<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>Lastly, the moral support can make a difference. Through m<\/span>y studies at The Chicago School,<\/span>\u00a0I\u00a0<\/span>have seen the support through \u201c<\/span>I support DACA\u201d<\/span>\u00a0signs along the<\/span>\u00a0offices<\/span>\u00a0of many professors<\/span>. Knowing that there is awareness of DACA students being present and going thro<\/span>ugh everyday hurdles to further our<\/span>\u00a0studies gives me fuel to continue in my path.\u00a0<\/span>DACA has many faces, all with the common factors of the desire to work, pursue dreams and enjoy this beautiful country which has watched us grow.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

_______________________________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n

Learn more about The Chicago School<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you would like to learn more about the academic programs available at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, please fill out the form below to request more information, or you can apply today through our\u00a0application portal<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/section>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

DACA is incredibly powerful and has changed the lives of many, however it is not permanent and there is always the possibility of it being removed. For years, this fear prevented me from pursing a higher degree. My fears were to not be able to work anymore, which would lead to having\u00a0no way to sustain myself, pay for school or additionally be in debt with no possibility to utilize my degree to work.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":47,"featured_media":109913,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[704],"tags":[377,1167],"coauthors":[1073],"class_list":["post-109896","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-for-our-wellness","tag-daca","tag-student-story"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nMy DACA Story - Insight Digital Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"DACA is incredibly powerful and has changed the lives of many, however it is not permanent and there is always the possibility of it being removed. For years, this fear prevented me from pursing a higher degree. 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