Dreams Don’t Have a Due Date
Lorenza is a single mom who believes no dream is too big to accomplish. Like many migrants arriving today, Lorenza came to the United States escaping violence and in search for a better life. After 11 years of working twelve-hour shifts, she was finally able to go back to school. She enrolled in ESL classes at Sequoia District Adult School, where she earned straight A’s and obtained her GED in just five months.
Lorenza’s daughter was the first person to encourage her to go back to school. “I was afraid at first,” Lorenza says. “My daughter convinced me to follow my dreams and take the opportunity. Whenever someone says I’m too old to go to school, I tell them, ‘Dreams don’t have a due date.’”
With renewed confidence, Lorenza set even bigger goals for herself. She enrolled at Cañada College, where she has been on the Dean’s List four times and is currently on track to earning three associate degrees in Economics, Psychology, and Interdisciplinary Studies.
This year, we invited Lorenza to be part of Immigrants Rising’s Scholars Program. Our financial and emotional support have helped Lorenza lessen the financial worries that used to make her think about leaving school. “Even though I started my educational journey four years ago, it was not until winning the scholarship that I could finally see the possibility of reaching my goals.” She is now one step closer to transferring to a four-year university and eventually getting her MBA.
Lorenza’s community has played a vital role in her journey, and she strongly believes in the importance of giving back, especially to other ESL students on their path to higher education.
Today, on #GivingTuesday, will you join Lorenza in giving back?
PLEASE CONSIDER MAKING A DONATION to Immigrants Rising so we can continue providing resources and support that help undocumented people like Lorenza rise above adversity, reach back, and bring all of us soaring with them.
This has been an amazing year for an organization:
- We raised over $10MM to start our new California Campus Catalyst Fund, which bolsters institutional support for undocumented students and their families at 32 public colleges and universities;
- We provided over 1,000 hours of leadership development and 1:1 mentorship; and
- We reached tens of thousands through our in-person presentations and online resources.
We also celebrated our 10-year anniversary; changed our organization’s name from E4FC to Immigrants Rising; and completely revamped our website!
We couldn’t have done it without you. Thank you being part of our Immigrants Rising family!
