My name is Andres and I am a dreamer. I came to the US from Ecuador when I was 4 years old and without knowing it overstayed my visa. I never gave the situation much though, I went to a pubic elementary school and to a magnet middle school. I excelled in the Honors courses of my middle school and was accepted into every IB and magnet high school in the county, I choose to attend the magnet science high school that is a top 100 school in the country and is very selective. This is the only public school that has to deal with private school parents complaining that their kids were not accepted. I graduated Top 15% in my class with the highest honors. I was the most decorated student at my graduation because of my leadership, community service and other extra curricular activities.
I grew up learning that if you work hard, you can succeed. When collage came around for my older brother I saw that my family was different, I saw that I was going to have to struggle harder than my peers in order to achieve the same thing. My senior year came around and I began looking at schools and scholarships. I talked to my college advisor and she sympathized with my situation, because she agreed that it was not fair. There was and endless number of scholarships that I could not even apply for! Then I found out that not only was scholarship money denied to me but the grants and income based help was also out of the picture! Then I learned that loans were also out of the picture! Do you see? I was left alone, with no help to pay for college. As an aspiring engineer I sought private schools that could offer me help. I was accepted but had to decline top schools because of the cost. I am currently a freshman at a top 50 school in the country but I am struggling! My friends here have money to spare and no problem paying their bills. I came in with higher qualifications but with so little help! The need based money (I needed more than they did; my total income is less; and btw my family has been paying taxes since the first year in the US) that I was denied along with the merit based award would have probably covered the whole way. I am currently in poor financial standing with the university although I am in the Honors program and am assuming leadership in one of the largest clubs on campus and in my residence hall.
I spent my spring breaks in high school in Mississippi and New Orleans helping with the hurricane relief. In my community I put in countless hours working with kids from all types of economic backgrounds(I have a huge heart for children!) I assisted in the construction of housing for homeless and assisted with homeless ministries. I was awarded a very prestigious community service award and was part of a math team that placed top 5 in the state.
I did not decide to stay in the US illegally and I do not know anything about life anywhere else. I know more about US history than a great majority of Americans.
I could tell you more about me and tell you about why I am an American, but as of today I am a dreamer. A dreamer with hope and faith, A dreamer with big dreams.
