Omar Jaimes Rodríguez: I Was Not Going to Give Up.

I am a first-year educator and graduate student—I also happen to be undocumented.

At 10 months old, I fled México in the arms of my mother and North Carolina became my new home after an uncertain trip across the border.

It wasn’t until Drivers Ed that I realized I did not have a Social Security number—or legal status in this country. My life felt like it was over before it truly began.  I almost dropped out.

But after conversations with my parents, I was convinced I had to finish strong and work towards my goals—regardless of my circumstances.

I was not going to give up.

DACA did not exist when I graduated high school—meaning I had to pay out-of-state tuition.

My parents were factory workers, and they could not afford to help me pursue my dreams. I worked for a year to save up enough money to attend community college the following year.

On June 15th, 2012, my life changed when President Obama introduced DACA. I felt the chains begin to loosen up around my goals and aspirations.

After receiving DACA and a TheDream.Us scholarship, I left my home to pursue my education. I received a bachelor’s in health and physical education and in less than two months I will earn a master’s degree in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). 

I love being an educator, mentor, and coach for my students.  Like many DACAmented, we all have goals and aspirations we look to accomplish. I want to fight for my students’ rights and dreams.

Passing permanent protection for DREAMers, TPS holders, and farmworkers means that our dreams will no longer be a fantasy, but an obtainable reality. 

While the House of Representatives recently passed the Dream and Promise Act and the Farmworker Modernization Act last week, I encourage the U.S. Senate to take up the bills and pass them, too. I also urge my fellow educators to mobilize with us to fight for the bright future we deserve.