[Music]
NYLE >> I'm a veteran, served eight years in the Navy
KEISEY >> This is my first semester here and I'm an elementary education major.
DINI >> this is my 3rd semester here I'm studying biological science .
CALEB >> I graduated from Richard Montgomery High School and I'm studying
cyber security and computer science
LUDVINE >> I'm deaf, my major is
general studies to be a social worker.
YODIT >> I'm a proud mom, mother of four.
MAURICIO >> I just graduated from Northwood high school
ADELA >> coming from a different country where
the educational system is completely different
sometimes meeting people that expect that you know how is the system here works
it's hard
MAURICIO >> I'm really happy that I'm a part of a college that accepts for-
accepts anyone with any backgrounds
CAROLINA GALEANO >> Each one of you has experienced
some kind of barrier obstacle that is unique
to you right to what you've gone through to your upbringing
or to the circumstances around you
YODIT >> You know I'm doing double-life you know like being parent, being work, and college
you know so I always think those things
NYLE >> When I was getting out we had one week
they gave us a one-week course when they sat you down in the classroom and say hey this is
how you be a civilian.
ADELA >> I'm from a different background so
I need you to adjust to my needs so I can be equal to everyone else
LUDEVINE >> I can do the work. I just I just need a little help with it.
MAURICIO >> I wanted to make a name for myself - I didn't want the status of a being an immigrant
stop me from going from going- succumbing to the tru- like what they've- society's been saying
DINI >> a friend's friend she's um she's undocumented so she's not able to pay
she wants to finish but I don't think it's
gonna take a little bit longer for her to finish just to pay it off.
KEISEY >> when I got here I was like okay one now because you don't have parents
or family members to go to to talk about like the college process or like if you need
help on a paper or financial aid and registration
NYLE >> so if I'm gonna be a full-time student
I have that in one hand alright it's like picking apples things like all right but in
this hand I still got to pay my rent, so you know it's like okay which one comes first?
You know it's like I got to take care of them both now it's like alright now what do I eat
YODIT >> some of my friend they have degree back home, but by learning spending this time at
the college they kind of feeling discouraged because you know I know as a second English
language learner this kind of tough you know to to meet the qualification
ADELA >> everyone has different backgrounds and we cannot treat everyone the same way
LUDEVINE >> these challenges don't - don't make it don't make us who we are.
CALEB >> we don't know what we don't know right. and we have to getting out of high school
getting out of the military or what have you we have to rely on the counselors.
NYLE >> you gotta learn where to start first right nobody knows where you're supposed to
start unless you unless you did the research on your own but then again I did my own research
and that kind of messed me up a little bit so as I'm saying like I think everybody I
think that's one of the biggest forefronts that we should be pushing is academic counseling
MAURICIO >> so one of the important things I wanted to add on was that within this academic counseling
that they be educated with with to be able to support immigrants because the reality
is we can't we can't file FAFSA -we can't um go for financial aid or these opportunities
that are open to other students
ADELA >> I think there are a lot of scholarships
opportunities out there that's students just don't know, so maybe make them more accessible
to students so students are more aware where to find them because I know for sure once
that I got more involved in different activities that's when I found a lot of resources and
a lot of things,
KEISEY >> when we're talking about helping
hands like MC is like that helping hand like they provide you with scholarships and resources
counselors it's like for me I was in ACES so my ACES coach was a big like resource
MAURICIO >> promote or share more of the success stories with um with individuals who have
barriers- and promote how how much of a difference we are making
YODIT >> I see many kind of people without any disability, barrier of language, barrier
of cultural, being immigrant, being in this country so so I think that's the reason
make me to think to to go to school. if I go to school if I have degree, if I have if
I know more, if I integrate I can make more difference
so I think that's the beginning of the opportunity at MC