Denea Joseph
Entrepreneur
"I, for one, stand in my power as a Black, undocumented woman. The epitome and antithesis of what they want us to be in these United States of America."
Our Theory of Change
“This is about basic human rights and freedom. People should be able to pursue their dreams.” — Ju Hong, Leadership Council Member & 2013 Scholar
Our Vision: The Future We Seek to Create
We envision an America where all people can pursue an education and career with confidence and without constraint.
Problem Statement: The Problem We Want to Solve
Undocumented people confront inequities and fears imposed by political, legal and education systems that constrain their educational and career opportunities.
Our Mission: How We Achieve Our Vision
We empower undocumented people to achieve their educational and career goals through personal, institutional and policy transformation.
Guiding Values: Principles & Beliefs that Guide Our Work
Our work is driven by and for undocumented people
Those most affected by unequal access to opportunities, rights and resources must be at the center of designing and moving forward solutions for the betterment of all. Undocumented people are powerful leaders who work in partnership with committed and capable allies in order to realize common goals.
Our work is community and relationship-based
Our community is strong, inclusive, and diverse. We create a safe and accepting environment where undocumented people and allies develop sustaining relationships, take risks, heal, and inspire one another.
We focus on undocumented people’s assets
Undocumented people are a vibrant force in U.S. culture, economy, and society. We build on individual and collective strengths in order to secure the resources necessary to learn and thrive.
We believe personal transformation fuels broader systemic change
Undocumented people inspire entire communities. Individual successes increase understanding, change policies, and open up access and opportunity for all.
We embrace and nurture the whole person
Undocumented people are multi-dimensional with intersectional identities. We strive for wholeness, including physical and emotional wellbeing, in order to achieve personal goals and healing.
We are innovative and persistent
We are nimble and responsive to what is happening on the ground. We look for the road not yet taken and pursue creative ideas to address complex social needs. Whatever obstacles are in our way, we persist. We break down barriers to education and career to create possibilities for today’s undocumented people.
We take the long view
While we focus on today’s undocumented people, we strive for solutions that will increase educational success and open up career opportunities for future generations of undocumented young people as well.
Core Strategies: An Overview of Our Work
We provide financial support to individuals and institutions that enable undocumented people to overcome systemic barriers.
We develop educational partnerships to enhance institutional support for undocumented students, and identify promising practices that will embolden other educational institutions.
We equip undocumented people with the information, resources, and support needed to navigate life, make informed decisions, and pursue educational and career goals.
We develop the leadership capacity of undocumented people through career training, mentorship, professional development, and opportunities to educate and empower the undocumented community.
We train undocumented people to reclaim and share personal stories in order to heal, strengthen community bonds, transform hearts and minds, and advance policy legislation.