A standing ovation followed the inspiring true story keynote speaker Diego Sepulveda shared with a captive audience at a special "Dreamer's Luncheon," which served as the grand finale to the celebrations that occurred across campus in support of statewide Undocumented Student Week of Action, celebrated Oct.15-19. Students, faculty and staff were invited to participate in a week full of advocacy and activities to support and build awareness of undocumented students. Recognizing that Dreamer students face unique struggles, select students were nominated to attend the ECC's Dreamer's Luncheon to hear Sepulveda's perspective of courage and optimism. Sepulveda detailed how he dealt with his own identity crisis of being a young, undocumented student and how that perspective shaped the work he does today as the director of the Dream Resource Center at UCLA. He found inspiration when as a high school student doing poorly in school because he felt he had no hope, an instructor told him, "Don't let your circumstances define you." From that day forward Sepulveda committed himself to school, raised his grades and went on to community college, transferring to UCLA. At the conclusion of the event, Diego was surrounded by students, faculty, and staff who shared their appreciation for his conviction and commitment to others who are on this journey now.
Many thanks to El Camino College Dreamer advocates and allies Cynthia Mosqueda, Rene Lozano, Lizet Salazar, Jaime Gallegos, Nicholas Bravo, Maribel Hernandez, César Jimenez, Rocio Diaz, Arturo Hernandez, Ricky Gonzalez, Dipte Patel and Ruby Padilla, who helped plan activities during the successful Undocumented Student Week of Action that included workshops on topics such as paying for college, knowing your rights, entrepreneurship, California Dream Act application assistance, and mental wellness.
Support is available to students throughout their educational journey. The Dreamer's Task Force, established in 2016, coordinates campus efforts and provides information for students who need resources. The Task Force also collaborates with student organizations and academic divisions to connect students with specific resources no matter what their situation may be and to assure students the El Camino College family is here to help them through these uncertain times.
Some of the most significant efforts to assist students include offering workshops on trending topics and providing hands-on help with Dream Act applications and financial aid. High school outreach and student health workshops have also expanded to include information to serve students' needs and concerns about college life. Parallel efforts by students and the Student Equity Council have resulted in a monthly student empowerment dialogue series. Students can also join the A.H.E.A.D. (Achieving Higher Education for All Dreamers) Club, which offers support and a peer network. Students can receive updates on DACA and AB-540 issues. ECC's efforts has been a model for other schools. We are proud of how our campus has come together to support all of our students. For more information and additional resources, please view: http://www.elcamino.edu/student/studentservices/financialaid/ab540/.