As LBCC and other institutions across the country reintegrate back to in-person learning, counselors within the DREAM services hope to foster a culture of connection with students individually not only through academic counseling but through fulfilling social needs as well.
A workshop was hosted on October 19 in the Social Justice Intercultural Center (SJIC) where undocumented students were able to gather and get to know some of the services offered to them.
Israel Carrasco has hopes and aspirations of advancing a career in computer engineering but has been hindered by being unsure of his out of state options, having few scholarships offered, and the constant rejection he dealt with from jobs and internships because of his documentation status.
For students like Carrasco, choosing a college to attend and navigating the maze of higher education has a few extra challenges involved.
“There’s a lot of internships that pop up… I would really like to get into them,” Carrasco said. Finding the internship opportunity is just the start, and he finds himself unable to complete the application process due to questions regarding social security or is rendered ineligible due to his status.
“Things like that just exclude you,” Carrasco said.
He found himself in the SJIC with Jose Gutierrez, a faculty counselor at Long Beach City College, obtaining resources and guidance to assist him in his journey at the school.
Gutierrez job with the school is to support undocumented students in the form of moving initiatives forward to assist in their time attending LBCC, and to get students involved in those initiatives.
He started his involvement with LBCC about three years ago and was tasked with building support infrastructure for undocumented students. Since his time here, he helped students such as Carrasco navigate college and has pushed initiatives such as providing technology and laptops to students in need as well as providing stipends to campus involved students who are restricted from working due to their status.
“The biggest challenge for them is just being a student in general, having to do with their undocumented status and knowing that they can’t apply like anyother student to a job or a work study,” Gutierrez said.
Growing up in a culture different from the American norm can already present challenges, add to that the status of undocumented and instil a sense of shame as well.
Vincent Mendoza, an undocumented student came to the DREAM services workshop and luncheon on Wednesday in the SJIC room put on by Gutierrez and his colleagues.
As students mingled and ate lunches provided by DREAM services, Mendoza and his newfound friends sat at a table discussing undocumented life.
“I tried to hide it,” Mendoza said. “In high school I didn’t mention I was in this situation… I don’t talk about it with my professors, or my admins, or my classmates because it’s not an easy topic to talk about.”
Mendoza was very happy to return to in-person learning and instruction but found it hard to find community alongside his peers. He hopes to find community with other undocumented students through the very same workshops and mixers put on by DREAM services that afternoon.
Gutierrez expressed a sense of eagerness, seeing that in-person classes are resuming and life on campus is slowly returning to as it was before; he now has the ability to assist these students in person.
“As we’re coming back [from covid] we certainly want to build that community presence to let them know ‘Hey, there’s students like you,’ ” Gutierrez said.
Linda Olmos, who has been an active member in the undocumented community since a young age and is currently serving as the manager for systems impacted students, mirrored the sense of importance to get students connected with campus life.
“You can have a very specific type of academic activities to support them in that aspect,” said Olmos, “but if you’re not connecting with students as individuals then it lacks that one on one connection.
“Here the goal is building community for our students…” said Olmos “Once that connection is established, students begin to thrive.”
Social life issues aside, LBCC’s DREAM services also hopes to ease the long and often confusing process of receiving documentation. Through the makings of personal connections, immigration attorneys and general legal counsel, students are able to seek out and access the help they need.
Nelson Casarrubias is one of the students taking advantage of these legal connections and has found great refuge and comfort in the services offered to him.
“These lawyers are pretty good.” Casarrubias said. “They’ll consult with you, you can tell them anything personal that’s going on in your life.”
Other students have taken advantage of programs offered by the service. Carrasco is able to purchase reading material thanks to Barnes & Noble gift cards provided by the service and is hoping to look into their housing program which helps students find a place of their own and transition to independent living.
Social stigmas, different cultural backgrounds, and what can seem like an overflow of information can make the process of obtaining a higher education more tricky than usual for undocumented students. DREAM services hopes to make the process easier and provide everything that a student might need to have the highest possible chance of success.
“It’s really about building that community.” Olmos said. “Wherever our students need us.”
Whether an undocumented student is looking to start their journey at LBCC, or if they’re already somewhere along the path; DREAM services is here to help them along every step of the way.