Last week I had a one-on-one meeting with Northern Illinois University President Baker, who wanted to learn more about college DREAMers at NIU and how to help them. Like a child in a toy store, I was so excited to see his office and the secret balcony that I heard he had. We went through a secret door in his office to the second floor where he has his meetings with the vice presidents of the university. Then we took the stairs to the top level. In the top of the balcony I met President Baker the human being. We talked about the plans he has for NIU, the vision he has for the university, and the 20/20 plan. He didn’t present himself as this high authority, but as a humble man interested in my life. I was shocked; why would a man that has so much power be interested in a DREAMer?

As I sat there talking to him about the day-to-day barriers that student DREAMERs have to face, it did not sink in how powerful that moment could be. I told him the school needs to support DREAMERs emotionally and financially. To me, these two things are the most important tools a DREAMER could have to survive in a university. I expressed my concern of not knowing if I would be able to pay for this school year. I also told him that I did not know how I was going to finance my school next year. He agreed to make more connections with the Latino community and especially with DREAM Action NIU. We also talked about how that there are other DREAMers who are not Latinos, and we need to recognize them.

“It should not be this hard for student like you to have to go through all this,” President Baker said. He asked me what my worries were when presenting in public. I told him that I always worry for my family because I increase their risk of getting in trouble every time I put myself out there. As the conversation continued, we showed each other pictures of our families. He showed me his house in the middle of mountains; I showed him the two bedroom apartment my family rents on the North side of Chicago. Two different worlds in one room.

Paving the way for future college DREAMers

As we grow up society tells us, “Dream big; the sky is the limit. With education you can get a brighter future. I sat in that office thinking all I ever wanted is to graduate from a university. I want to provide a better life for my family. Sitting in that chair in the president’s office as a junior attending one of the best business schools in the nation, I realize life is not easy but it is worth it. In the future, DREAMers will not have to go through the same stuff that many before me and I had to face. Younger DREAMers like my sister hopefully will have more opportunities than we currently have.

So it comes down to this: some DREAMers have to work harder to make it easier for others in the future. Some of us have to surpass more barriers than others. We get to a point where our surroundings will break us or make us. Like society says, “If you work hard, the sky is the limit.” I hope to graduate in two years proving to everyone that even with a million struggles, it is still possible to become someone successful. I hope that all the things that I am doing today help many more DREAMers to come.