My Name is Ashley and I am Undocumented

by Dave Bennion

categories: Advocacy and Activism, DREAM Act, Immigration Reform

Published August 22, 2009 @ 06:09AM PT

[This week's DREAM Act guest post comes from Ashley, a DREAM-eligible would-be med school student whose hopes to contribute her talents in the medical field have been cut short by Congress's refusal to vote on the DREAM Act.  Visit Dreamactivist.org to find out how you can help pass the DREAM Act.]

The funny thing about my story is that my grandmother and mother were both greencard holders. Yet, here I am in a state of limbo status because the lawyer messed up. In the time it took for my mother to futilely navigate the immigration system, I had already overstayed my tourist visa and forgotten my native tongue. I thought of myself only as an American and was thoroughly disappointed and in a state of shock when I found that I couldn't get a driver's license. As I grew older, the barriers grew more formidable. I moved into a studio-size apartment with my family, checked vending machines for forgotten change, and somehow managed to finish my college education.

I graduated from a prestigious university without any form of institutional financial aid. I did, however, qualify for in-state tuition, without which I would not be the person I am today. To save money, I finished two majors in three years and received the highest honors given at my school. Throughout my college days, I was and still am an active member of the community. I led efforts to provide health service for the uninsured, tutored and mentored underserved youth, and volunteered at the free clinic. My status had provided me with unique insight into the struggles of the low-income and underserved and with undying strength to help those in greater need.

Finally, I realized that my greatest desire in life was to pursue a career in medicine so that I could dedicate each day to directly helping those in need. I applied and was accepted into MD-PhD programs across the nation, placing me in the top 10% of the student population. Yet, in a matter of days, my dreams would be destroyed. I am still out of status and unable to pursue dual degrees in medicine and research. Currently, I am still unsure whether or not I will be able to enroll in medical school. My elite pile of acceptances seem to dangle before me as dreams that are so close to reality and yet so far from my reach.

But I don't deserve this. I had made no excuses in my application and told no lies. I was, instead, reviewed and accepted by my own academic and personal merits. These schools don't even have a clue of what I've had to go through to get this far in my life. They offered me admission because I was well-qualified for a spot in their entering class, because I had shown the potential to make great differences in the world of healthcare and scientific innovation. It is entirely their loss that they revoked the acceptances I had gained fair and square.

I hope this nation will not make the same mistake as these schools. We, the Dreamies, represent some of America's most persevering and brightest youth. We have been tested by the most difficult challenges. Most of us have experienced days when we couldn't afford buying food for our family or painful incidents when we couldn't afford medical help for our loved ones. Yet, with each challenge, we continue to overcome. We face these adversities head-on and grow stronger in the process. And each day, we explore the limits of our potential as allowed by the restrictions imposed on us because we hold the faith that this country we love so dearly will one day recognize us and our efforts. We want nothing more than to contribute to the growth of this nation and, without a doubt, we have the potential to do so. All we need is the chance to grow.

Please pass the DREAM Act. All I ever wanted was to go to medical school, to spend the rest of my life giving back to the community, and to finally be an American.