BY CALEIGH GOLDMAN

The Dreamer Center is filled with natural light, butterfly motifs and undocumented students working hard to find their way. Like butterflies, the Dreamer Center allows students to fly high through their education.

Norma Vizcaino, a chemistry major, was a dreamer herself trying to navigate through financial aid when she was introduced to the Director of Student Equity Programs, Dr. Guadalupe Corona. Vizcaino said she had no idea what she was getting herself into.

“I was trying to fill out the California Dream Act application, and the financial aid office told me they were going to start this center and asked me if I wanted to be involved,” Vizcaino said.

Vizcaino, now a student worker at the Dreamer Center, helps others who are in similar situations as her. She said she enjoys having conversations about living undocumented so no one feels alone in their journey.

“It’s like playing pool, but at school and at work and at home,” Vizcaino said. “And you have to get just the right angle ‘cause you also want to live a happy life but you also don’t want to be like thinking about all the things you do not have and stressing about it.”

The Dreamer Center offers a variety of help to undocumented students. Project Specialist Alejandra Garcia said they mostly provide students and families contact with legal sources, housing, and healthcare. Garcia said their goal is to “remove barriers that may mentally or financially prevent them from completing their educational goals.”

If you or someone you know at Southwestern is undocumented and facing hardship because of COVID-19 contact agarcia4@swccd.edu or read below to access available resources.

Corona said the Dreamer Center involves an aspect of trust as well. The center uses personal information that students and families may not feel comfortable talking about.

“It’s not something that someone’s gonna come to and be like, ‘hey I need help,’” Corona said.  “It really is like, ‘Can I trust you? Then you [can] have my information and be able to help me understand and navigate this process.’”

Most of the center’s traffic comes from word of mouth. They also reach out to high schools with Dreamer outreach ambassadors who are trained by the center in all the services they provide. Garcia said it starts with discussing how to file the dreamer application since those students can not file for federal financial aid like FAFSA.

Garcia also said they go over the “college 101 basics” and what kinds of degrees are available — many undocumented students are also first-generation college students.

The Dreamer Center had to adjust its operations to abide by COVID-19 regulations.

“We have developed a list of community resources available to undocumented families since they will not be receiving the stimulus check from the government,” Garcia said.

They are also creating online programming to educate students about immigration scams, mental health, and legal services.

Here are some resources available to Undocumented Communities:
— Immigrants Rising: Tangible Support for Immigrant Communities
— CIYA: COVID-19 Resources for Undocumented Californians

Employee rights (You have rights regardless of immigration status):
— EDD: Unemployment
— Employee Rights Center: Get help submitting your unemployment