From a young
age, she was one of the primary caregivers for her brother who suffers
from severe autism. During the little spare time she had, Gissel was a
volunteer in her community, helping organizations provide care for
children with autism. As an undocumented student though, Gissel was not eligible for any
Federal assistance to go to college, but as a result of her academic
achievements in high school, she received a private scholarship to
attend the University of Illinois at Chicago. As a college student,
Gissel was a writing tutor and a leader in student organizations for
future teachers. In 2010, she graduated from the University of Illinois
Chicago and the College of Education with a degree in elementary
education. After the graduation ceremony, Gissel received a Dean's
Merit Award. She delivered the graduation speech for her class. She wanted to start using her degree as an elementary school teacher,
but because she was undocumented, that wasn't possible. Instead, she
continued her education and earned a master's degree at the University
of Illinois. She was accepted into a disability leadership program as a
family advocate. Then, in 2012, the world changed for the better for Gissel. President
Obama established the DACA Program. She immediately applied for DACA. Then, in 2013, she completed her master's degree and became an
elementary school teacher. For the last 4 years, Gissel has been a
teacher in the Berwyn South School District.
Keywords matched
undocumented DACA