Who is a dreamer? A dreamer can be a student in your class, a member of your community, or a coworker. Nicole Calderon is an Ecuadorian immigrant who came to the United States when she was three years old and was given the opportunity of a lifetime during her sophomore year of high school. Calderon is currently a student at the University of Buffalo, she is an active member of her sorority, the Lasa dance team, and PODER, a hispanic organization. Furthermore, she spends countless hours devoting her time to volunteering in and outside of her organization. She aspires to become a daycare teacher after she graduates and open up her own daycare. Calderon is reminded daily by her parents, who are also immigrants, that nothing is free and everything comes with hard work. This motivates her to continue to be successful and determined to achieve her goals in life.
Calderon vividly remembers the day the United States approved the Dream Act bill. It was a hot summer day and she sat inside watching tv.
“My tv show cut off and President Obama came on to speak about a new immigration opportunity that was going to be given to students that face the same reality as my brother and I,” said Calderon.
After being the first person in her family to find out about this, Calderon ran to her parents with excitement saying “vamos ser ciudadanos” which means “we will be citizens” in Spanish.
Both Calderon and her brother Felipe speak openly about being illegal immigrants.
Although her brother Felipe has had it much harder than Calderon; since he was a couple of years older he never had the opportunity to have a driver’s license until his last year of college. He also paid double in tuition as an international student even though he was raised in New York since the age of 6.
Calderon applied for the dreamers act as a sophomore in high school which allowed her to have a social security number, a New York State driver’s license at the age of 16, purchase her first car, and of course the opportunity to get an education at a university of her choice without having to be considered an international student. Unfortunately, most undocumented DACA students do not get the chance to go to the college of their choice due to not being able to receive financial aid.
DACA renewal process and fees, Calderon says she is given a work permit every two years and when the work permit expires she has to pay $500 to be eligible for a renewal. She shared how this permission has given her and her brother numerous opportunities; although, there is still a sense of fear that this act will be rescinded. It’s not just a fear she faces, but also a fear that is similarly felt by the other 800,000 DACA students as well. Unfortunately, since the Trump administration was voted into office these fears have become much more prevalent in today’s society.
Dreamers & Diplomas 