My name is Sergio I’m 16 years old; I go to Roosevelt High School and I support AB 131. To me AB 131 is an opportunity that will help out many undocumented students, including me, trying to get a higher education. My parents always told me that in order for me and my sisters to be successful, we have to be educated and well, to me being undocumented never really mattered before.

I mean it never separated me from my peers in any way until I entered high school. Entering high school I found out that I wasn’t eligible to do certain things that my friends were planning on doing, like applying for scholarships or even going to the senior trip to a foreign country.

Finding these things made me realize that my goal for a higher education is going to be tougher for me than for my peers. So when I heard that AB131 passed it made me really happy to see that there is support out there and that I’m not alone. I also started reaching out to teachers and found out that they too support AB131 and it makes me feel like I do have people to support me. I know that having this bill passed is a great help for me to continue my education when I go to college. I’m really glad that this bill passed and really grateful to all the persons who made it possible , thank you.

My name is Jesus Cortez and I support AB 131. I am a 31 year old Mexican immigrant—and undocumented immigrant. My struggles are similar to the struggles of many who are not undocumented: I struggle to pay rent, pay my bills at home and try to be there for my mother in every way possible. Ever since I started college in 2002—thanks to the passage of AB540—I have not received any form of financial aid. All these years I have worked hard, and borrowed money from friends and family; some of that money has gone unpaid, and it hurts not to be able to pay them back.

Though my family and friends are supportive, they find themselves struggling as much as I do. With the passage of AB131, I might be able to accomplish my goal of earning a PhD. Given that I will most likely be graduating with a Master’s in Education from California State University, Long Beach in the Spring of 2013, I am sure I will not qualify for any financial aid—at least not for my Master’s.

Yet, I am not that selfish to say that it does not make a difference, because it does. I know that there are many young women and men who wish to pursue their college career and I will fight alongside of them to see that happen. Even if I were to never benefit from any legislation, my struggle for equality and justice continues. As I see the faces of many young immigrants eager to accomplish many great things, I am inspired to continue to fight. For me, the future is now, and I hope for them the future is a tomorrow where the hatred and selfishness of others will not prevent them from achieving their educational and life goals.

My name is Ana Rodriguez and I support AB 131. I live in South Central LA, I am the first in my family to go to college. I attend Cal State Fullerton as a part-time student and Elac as a part time student as well . It is my first semester there and I will be majoring in Chicano Studies, Human services and Child and Adolescent studies. My first semester wouldn’t have been possible without the help of my friends, DREAMers, Allies, Professors and most importantly my family. There were times when I didn’t eat because I didn’t have money, or when I decided to “study” instead of going out but as soon as I started sharing my story with others everything changed.

It was through this and educating others that I learned the true meaning of progress. I no longer went hungry, my friends from the Alliance of Students for an Equal Education, the Ab540 club/support group on campus, told me about scholarships, and other ways I could fund for my education. I was not fortunate enough to be able to get a job or scholarships when I started college so my dad payed for most of my tuition and with the money I had saved I pitched in for the rest and my books.

With the passage of AB 131, I can finally see myself triple majoring. I will no longer have to choose between a book or food. I am very excited about the future generations who won’t have to go through what I did during my first semester. I will finally be able to be a full-time student at Cal-State Fullerton, and I can’t wait until I encourage others who were in the shadows like I was to achieve their dreams and tell their story. Thanks to AB 131, I won’t limit my dreams, I won’t let the opposition stand in the way, they are merely pebbles, and I have carried boulders a longer distance.

My name is Sonia Gomez and I support AB 131. I am the youngest and first in my family to attend college. I’m proud to say that without the help of my family, countless professors and other people in my life, I wouldn’t be where I am right now. Not being able to have access to any kind of aid or financial aid, being blocked from being a part of associations/groups, whose purpose is to help you pay for your books and supplies, having no access to grants, not being able to enroll as a full time student because we have to work in order to pay for school, are just some of the numerous obstacles I’ve encountered during my college years.

All these obstacles haven’t stopped me. I’ve just been accepted to Cal Poly Pomona as a Business Administration major, where I will pursue my career as a Database Administrator. One thing that I have always known, is that I will never give up on my studies, no matter how long it would take me to finish or how many more obstacles I encounter on my way. Thanks to people that made AB131 possible, I can now say that those obstacles that I listed, are out of the way and I can now concentrate solely in school. Enroll as a full time student like I always wanted and thus set an example to those who are still in the shadows. I want to help them overcome their fears, so that they can pursue a better life and attain an education, because where there’s a will, there’s a way.

My name is Tony Ortuno, and I am currently studying to attain my Bachelors Degree in Political Science at California State University, Long Beach. My journey in pursuit of higher education began at Santa Ana Community College, where I met amazing DREAMers and allies. Through out my journey, I constantly struggled to find a means to pay for college, but have been deeply fortunate to have worked, received scholarships and parental aid. My most recent experience was this past summer, where I worked two part time jobs in order to pay off my fall tuition fees.

As a fourth year college student, my graduation day is rapidly approaching, which means I will not see the automatic benefits of AB 131. Although the bill won’t take effect until after my graduation date, there will always be students, current or incoming, in the educational system who are in need of AB 131. The struggle will continue and as a future graduate, I will continue advocating for our rights in our community.

My name is Joaquin Torres and I support AB 131. I was brought over to the United States at the age of one. As much as I would love to, I can’t say I have any idea of what life in Mexico is. Nevertheless, it’s been ingrained in me through society that I am neither welcome, nor appreciated. As a child my parents always told me to educate myself if I ever wanted to succeed in life. I have been adamant in following the lectures that they always gave me.

My teachers, counselors, family all praised me along the way. Through my own determination I graduated high school with a 3.5 gpa, while passing several AP exams. I scored at the top of my class in the ACT and SAT tests for university admission. I even got accepted into Santa Clara University. My life would have been all but a dream had I not been reminded every day that I have no papers.

Luckily I can say that I am the youngest of my family and thus haven’t had to face the same struggle as some individuals but yet I feel some kind of entitlement. In the end I have had a disillusionment with merits. I feel that I have a lot to offer that I haven’t done simply because I can’t. And now at San Jose City College I feel like I’m being cheated out of a higher quality education. I have been doing all I can, I even completed a semester of college while in high school through AP exams. Ultimately, I want to finish my transfer requirements by Fall 2012. I am really hoping that if all goes well, I will be able to receive financial aid by the time I transfer. Given the conditions of my upbringing, and those of our society, all I really want is an education regardless of the institution.

My name is Yesenia Capellino. With the hard work of many supporting me, I am proud to say that I’m a student at UCLA, majoring in Psychology. It is a surreal experience being undocumented, but now, more then ever, I am optimistic about my future. Since the passage of AB 131, I know I will have the financial help to obtain my Bachelor’s Degree and continue on to Graduate school and eventually working my way into getting a doctorate. Ultimately, I wish to fulfill my mothers desires for wanting a better life for me and my siblings.

I want to take what I learned in school and give back to the community that has helped shape me into the motivated person I am today. In California, we are very fortunate to have the support of our political leaders, through the passage of the CA DREAM Act, because it is a worthwhile investment, it gives all DREAMers ambition to keep fighting and pushing forward, toward our goals and DREAMS.