Speech #1140036585

She attended WashingtonLee High School right here in Arlington. She took advanced placement and international baccalaureate classes. During a campus visit as she graduated. she learned for the first time that her undocumented status would be a barrier to earning a college education. But instead of giving up on her dream. she organized with other students to form DREAMers of Virginia. an organization that has led efforts to provide students access to instate tuition and college admission for kids just like her. After the President announced the DACA Program in June of 2012. Hareth became a recipient. and she has since transferred from community college to Trinity Washington University. where she expects to graduate with a degree in international affairs next year. Another student. Jung Bin Cho. also has seen doors open to him because of DACA. doors to educational opportunities such as the fine institution of Virginia Tech. where he now attends. Cho arrived in the United States with his parents from South Korea when he was 7 years old. He attended elementary school and graduated high school in Springfield. VA. where he played on the defensive line for the football team. His dreama lot of Virginians have this dreamwas attending Virginia Tech. and he gained admission to the school. But at the same time he first realized that his undocumented status eliminated him from instate tuition or any financial aid. Because he couldnt afford it. he attended community college and worked two jobs to support himself. But following DACA and the decision last year to grant instate tuition to young Virginiansa decision for which I applaud our Governor and general assemblyCho reapplied to Virginia Tech. won admission. and he now is able to attend Virginia Tech. where he will pursue a degree in business and hopefully participate in this great expansion of the Virginia economy that so many of our immigrants have been proud to lead. For young people such as Hareth and Cho. DACA makes sense. Both came here as young children. They didnt come here on their open volition. they were brought here.