Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/882783
more ways to help: As Dreamers, we are not looking to be given anything other than the opportunity to give back to the country that has given us so much. I H AV E A L W AY S felt fear. Fear of being separated from my family, my home and what I know. I came to this country at the age of 5 from Mexico. I had to learn a new language and assimilate to a different culture from the one I had known. As a young child, my mother always empha- s i z e d t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f a n e d u c a t i o n . S h e would repeatedly tell me that my only job was to go to school and get good grades. I eventu- ally graduated third in my high school class. Nevertheless, I knew there was no better choice I could make than to pursue a higher education. I paid for every bit of my postsecondary education out of pocket. Every single dime. Friends of my family would say, "Why are you spending money on going to school if you are not going to be able to work?" In my mind, I have always believed educa- tion is something nobody can take away from you. In June 2012, I graduated with a bachelor's degree in math from Cal Poly Pomona. Days after my graduation , President O bama announced DACA. I couldn't believe it. A couple of weeks aft er th e program was in ef fect, I sent in my application, and two months later, I had in my hands the piece of paper that opened the doors to a sea of opportunities. A few years later, I decided to go back to school and become a teacher. At eight months pregnant and with a 5-month-old baby in my arms, uncer- tain how I would pay for school , I started the credential and master's program at the University of Redlands. I am now the first in my family to go to college and to have not one but two degrees. I'm in my third year in the classroom doing what I love — teaching math. Student CTA members and CTA board members Susan Green and Toby Boyd (second and third from left, respectively) protest at the State Capitol in September. Among their calls: "If you don't let us dream, we won't let you sleep." See neaedjustice.org/daca for ways you can help #ProtectDreamers and #DefendDACA. Additional tips and resources are at neaedjustice.org/daca-resources. 47 O C T O B E R / N O V E M B E R 2 017 STAND UP FOR DREAMERS CALL CONGRESS NOW TELL THEM TO PASS THE BIPARTISAN DREAMERS ACT OF 2017 855-764-1010 YOU WILL BE CONNECTED TO YOUR REPRESENTATIVE. IT TAKES ONE MINUTE. THEN FO THEN FORWARD THIS EMAIL FAR AND WIDE!