“ I joined the DVC DREAMers Alliance and I began to take up space in rooms where I knew I could make a difference. The DREAMers Alliance provided a sense of allyship. I remember the first day I showed up to those meetings. I was usually the only student there. Frightening at first but I began to use my voice giving them an inside look of what being undocumented was really about. I also got to network with faculty that knew where I came from like and who opened doors such as the DREAM SF Fellowship."

- Hernan Soto, DREAMer Alumni 

"Although I faced many barriers as an undocumented college student, I feel fortunate to have found genuine support and guidance at Diablo Valley College. I’m incredibly thankful to all the professors, counselors, and classmates who welcomed me warmly and encouraged me to pursue my educational goals. Now that I’m transferring to a 4-year university, I feel confident in my ability to succeed academically while helping to lead efforts in making education a possibility for all students, including DREAMers."

- Cristobal Castañeda, DREAMer Alumni

“No Human Being Is Illegal On Stolen Land. Our undocumented status does not and will never define who we are as people. We are so much more than the “legal papers” this country is looking for. I know that it took some time for me to accept myself and my status, and every day I still try to find ways to accept myself especially when the country we know doesn’t accept us. We have to remember that there is nothing wrong with taking our time to feel, ask for help, and to just be. We are human beings and we should be treated as such."

- Hazel Pinon, Current DREAMer

"As a first-generation college student and an undocumented immigrant, it was always a dream of mine to pursue higher education. When coming to the United States I knew being here was a privilege and an opportunity, one I did not have in my home country of El Salvador. After I graduated high school I knew that my road to success had to include higher education but because of financial struggles, my options became limited. Finally, I took the decision to come to DVC, and I can honestly say it was the best decision I made. Here at DVC I found a community of other Latinos with goals similar to mine."

- Lilian Ventura, Current DREAMer

"Being low-income I have not had the educational opportunities that middle-class families have. All my life I attended schools with students predominantly African-American or Hispanic. We were not given the proper resources to succeed in this educational system. So in order for me to continue on my journey, I had to work twice as hard. I managed to learn and apply to scholarships and financial aid even though I am undocumented. The professors, mentors, and tutors at DVC have prepared me academically and with great perseverance and determination. I’m proud to say that I am now attending the University of California, Berkeley, and majoring in sociology."

- Maria Bojorquez, DREAMer Alumni

"Extracurricular activities sometimes take the most out of you but they're worth it. While I was at DVC I took advantage of the Latinx Student Alliance Club, Student Assistant at a Cadaver Lab, Speech and Debate team, Work Study at the Office of Student Engagement and Equity, The DREAMers Alliance, The PUMA Center, and the abundance of mentors. I faced my fears by getting involved and I met some of my best friends because of my involvement."

- Hernan Soto, DREAMer Alumni

"One of the worries I had when I started college was being able to afford it. Given that I am undocumented, I do not qualify for FAFSA. During my first semester of college I was charged as an out-of-state student, I was afraid that I would not be able to take classes due to financial inability. Luckily, California is one of the states that allow in-state tuition to dreamers known as AB540 and I was also qualified for the Dream Act, and EOPs which had been a tremendous help for me."

- Hazel Pinon, Current DREAMer