Word: marianas
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Higher education at places like Harvard offers a temporary respite from the undocumented life in the outside world. “This was in so many ways the closest I’ve ever been to freedom, to be at Harvard,” says Mariana, an undocumented student who graduated last year and asked that her real name not be disclosed. Mariana came here when she was eight years old from Mexico; her mother was sick, and they could not find the care she needed in their home country...
...even though Mariana says she cannot imagine Harvard having done any more for her, it could not provide a shield from all the difficulties of life as an undocumented student. Mariana knew that she would never be able to study abroad or get a term-time job, and while her peers were stressed about finding summer internships, most of them were not even options for her. “I was so bummed out to be here,” recalls Mariana of her first semester. “You can see what’s possible, but you know...
Eventually, Mariana convinced herself that she could only take advantage of the opportunities she had now, even if the future remained uncertain...
...think that most [undocumented] students are fine throughout their undergraduate years. It’s fairly easy to do as much as you can and you have learned to be satisfied with the things you can do,” Mariana says, reflecting on her time with organizations including Women in Business and The Crimson. “When you’re about to graduate, that’s when the anxiety comes back...
...speaking out also begin to give way. “The students who are more willing to be vocal are the ones that have graduated and are really experiencing what it means to be undocumented in the real world, not Harvard’s safe place,” Mariana says...