That is where I met her. Like many States across the country, my home State of Illinois faces
a shortage of physicians in the inner cities and in the downstate rural
communities. As a DACA student at Loyola medical school, Belsy has
promised that after she graduates and becomes a doctor, she will work
for several years in underserved areas in my home State of Illinois. Even with her busy medical school schedule, Belsy volunteers as a
translator at Loyola medical clinic. She is a member of Viva la
Familia, a group which educates families on healthy lifestyles, and she
mentors undergraduate students who are interested in medical school. She wrote me a letter and said:
DACA means the world to me. It has allowed me to continue
the arduous journey of becoming a physician, and without it,
I would not be where I am today. All I've ever wanted was the
opportunity to prove myself and to further my education so
that I can give back to those who need it the most. I am so
close to achieving my dreams and finally making a difference
in the community, but if DACA is repealed, those dreams might
never become reality. If DACA is eliminated, what happens to Belsy? If it is eliminated,
she loses her right to legally work in the United States and may have
to drop out of medical school, and that alone--the clinical experience
in medical school--requires actually working. If she can't work, she
can't pay for her education.