A 'Dream' Come True for Los Amigos High Students

It's known as the California Dream Act, but at in Fountain Valley, where educators have had to stand by as far too many promising students were forced to pass up college because of their undocumented status, the word "dream" somehow doesn't seem strong enough.

"It's huge," Los Amigos Principal Robin Patterson said. "The more we can open up opportunities, the fact that we've cracked open that door just a little bit. Things are happening in the nation. Things are happening in other states that are going to help California maneuver through some of this. To just make any money available is a huge step. I'm excited. I was excited to hear it on the news this morning, and I'm excited that we're able to take that first step. And I know our kids are going to be excited."

The bill, which was signed into law Monday by Gov. Jerry Brown, will allow undocumented students access to privately funded financial aid. Another bill, which would allow those same students access to public money for education, has yet to be passed, and unlike the legislation proposed at the federal level, California's version of the Dream Act doesn't include a path to citizenship.

Hispanic students account for about 75 percent of the student body at Los Amigos. Because the school doesn't keep track of which students are here legally and which aren't, Patterson said, it's often too late by the time teachers or counselors find out that an otherwise college-bound student won't have access to financial aid.

"It happens more than even probably we realize because we don't know who is undocumented until the student actually comes forward and says, 'I can't go' or 'I can't go because I'm not here legally and I don't have papers.'" Patterson said. "It's not something that we ask students. It's not something that we monitor, but we do become aware as we try to help them navigate through the system, and it's a shame. It's heartbreaking. It's just wrong when you have students who are capable of being successful, who want to be successful in college, and they can't get there because there are road blocks in their way—road blocks that they really didn't even control. And that's the other part of this: Many students who are here who are undocumented, it wasn't their choice. They were brought here by their parents."

Patterson said the next step for her and for other educators is to make sure students are aware of the new opportunities available to them—and how to find them. At Los Amigos, she said, much of this is handled by the students themselves.

"We have many students who put on workshops right here on campus about the Dream Act and about what's available for students and undocumented students, so it's pretty exciting," Patterson said. "That's another step in it: How do you access this money, these scholarships, that are out there? How do I find out? Often time, students who haven't had that opportunity don't even realize it's there and wouldn't even reach out for it."