However, in her own words, she said:
I didn't let that get in the way and I did not let bad
influences in my neighborhood get to me. There, in the back
of my head, there was always a little voice saying,
``Education is the way to a better life.''
Christian pushed through and finished middle school and high school
as an honor student and, despite her constant hard work and proven
academic record, she faced an unexpected obstacle--adults in her life
who doubted her ability to attain a college education. As she tells it,
many adults in her life simply assumed that an undocumented student
like Christian could not obtain a college education. While these doubts
broke her heart, she was not deterred. Christian's hard work, grit, and academic merit all earned her
admission to Northern Illinois University where she received a private
scholarship. She also worked multiple retail jobs selling flowers,
shoes, and clothing to fund her education. Although her future was
uncertain, Christian never let up on her academics or her many work
responsibilities to put herself through school. Finally, in the last few years of her college education, she received
some relief with the implementation of the DACA Program. In 2015, she
became the first person in her family to graduate with a bachelor's
degree. She had a job offer right after graduation which, as anyone can tell
you, is not an easy feat. Although her DACA work permit expired that
summer, when she had intended to start working full-time, her company
was so invested in having her come on board that they worked with
Christian to ensure that her DACA work permit was renewed. Their
investment was worthwhile. Within the first 2 years at her company,
Christian reached No. 1 in sales nationwide. She is now a branch
manager of her company and consistently one of the top performers in
sales. Christian also opened doors for other DACA recipients who have joined
her at her company and are also excelling in their roles. She is just
one of thousands of Dreamers who positively contribute to our Nation. It is evident that our businesses and communities benefit and thrive
from the work ethic and the perseverance Dreamers like Christian
possess. There are no truer American values than to work hard,
accomplish your goals, and to have the ability to fully contribute to
society. Unfortunately, due to the Trump administration's elimination of DACA,
nearly 800,000 of our young people like Christian are now vulnerable to
deportation. Thousands of young people who participated in the DACA
Program and who are legally in the United States may no longer be able
to serve as doctors, teachers, students, and, yes, even servicemembers
in our military. This decision will also tear families and communities
apart. I implore my colleagues in the Senate to recognize the contributions
of our DACA recipients throughout the country. I urge my colleagues to
not shortchange the thousands of Dreamers who learn and work alongside
our families and friends. We must do everything we can to make sure the
Dream Act is addressed before the holidays. I will not turn my back on Dreamers like Christian, and I will fight
to protect DACA recipients as we work to make the Dream Act the law of
the land. Thank you. I yield the floor.
Keywords matched
work permit undocumented DACA deportation