My name is Monserrat Sierra and I’m a student at Ánimo Pat Brown. I am undocumented which makes it difficult to keep my grades up. At times I feel like going to school is a waste of time. Sometimes I feel like dropping out. I ask myself why I’m even going to school, what’s the purpose?
I’m not going to be able to get money for college either way. I won’t be able to achieve my dreams. At some point In my life I thought my life was useless. My grades were very low, and I felt like there was no one there for me to motivate me to keep going. That all changed with the help of my older sister. She told me to not make the same mistakes as she did. I would be able to make it if I just worked hard enough. Me being undocumented, I would have to work twice as hard in school. My sister completely changed my views on school and on life.
Every day I walk out of my house, I’m scared of the police, or the border patrol. What if they come to take me away? I have all these “what if’s” in my head.
Yes, I’ve heard of the dream act, and I really hope it can pass in the senate again. I feel like we, the undocumented students, depend on the dream act passing.
It really upsets me how students with papers keep throwing their lives away. Hello? You have papers and you’re failing all your classes and dropping out of school? No bueno.
It not only makes me mad, it makes me want to cry. Some undocumented students work hard every single day to have the chance the graduate. Then, there are students who have documents who don’t care about what’s happening out there in the world. Just cause they have documents does not mean they do not need to worry about anything.
They have a voice to speak up and chose not to, while others have a voice, but are not able to speak up.
If I spoke up and fought for what I believe is right, it might lead to my deportation. That is the thing I fear the most.
I will not let that stop me from achieving my goal. I will finish high school, I will earn my diploma, I will walk that stage and say “Mami, lo hice.”
Going to college can only be done with hard work, dedication, and patience, but it will all pay off in the end. Just because you’re undocumented does not mean you’re worthless, it does not mean your dreams are impossible. You can achieve your dreams. You just have to have faith and a little help from your family, friends, or even teachers. I’m glad I have my sister, she changed my life drastically. She changed my life for the better, and so can you.
