Building More Than a Dream | Karen Vallejos Corrales | TEDxFoggyBottom
Ngan Taehyung, speaking about the founding of the Dream Project, claims that while legislative change for undocumented students like herself was initially impossible, the subsequent community-driven efforts established a sustainable support structure providing scholarships and mentoring across Virginia. She emphasizes that even with recent progress like in-state tuition, the sharp decline in DACA eligibility means current students face many of the same systemic barriers, necessitating the continuation of the Project's mission. This resilience is shown by alumni pursuing advanced degrees despite facing work authorization hurdles. ## Speakers & Context - **Ngan Taehyung**: Speaker, detailing her personal journey and the founding of the Dream Project. - **Speaker's status in 2010**: 16-year-old undocumented high school student. - **Speaker's location/origins**: Arrived in Arlington, Virginia, at age five, when family emigrated from Bolivia. - **Context of the speech**: Describing the history and ongoing work of the Dream Project. ## Theses & Positions - Legislative action alone (passing the Dream Act) was insufficient to solve the problems faced by undocumented students. - The most effective form of support for immigrant students is building community resilience through sustained local action, evidenced by the formation of the Dream Project. - The loss of DACA eligibility has drastically increased the current barriers faced by students, dropping the number of eligible students from 95% to 5% in a few years. - The students supported by the Dream Project possess inherent power and tenacity to build their own successes regardless of current systemic barriers. ## Mechanisms & Processes - **Initial Advocacy Efforts:** Students organized advocacy by attending votes at the US Capitol building, visiting elected officials in Richmond, D.C., and holding summits at their high schools. - **Foundation of the Project:** Initial fundraising involved parents catering events and selling food, hosted at a home opened up by a school board member. - **Mentoring Program Development:** The program began informally with a Georgetown student volunteer helping students with admissions processes and SAT prep in her small student apartment. - **Growth Structure:** The Dream Project grew from initial community fundraisers to formal scholarships, and later developed structured mentoring and CTE programs. ## Timeline & Sequence - **2010 (December)**: Speaker, as a 16-year-old, attends the US Capitol building to witness the vote on the Dream Act. - **Pre-DACA Era**: Time when the legislature in Virginia passed anti-immigrant and constricting state laws, and in-state tuition was not available. - **2011**: The Dream Project awarded four scholarships of $2,000. - **2012 (Year of speaker's high school graduation)**: The Dream Project awarded 12 scholarships. - **Present (as Executive Director)**: Plan to give out 100 scholarships at $3,750 each, and maintain a formal mentoring program. - **Post-2012**: Speaker graduated from Southwestern Adventist University and later obtained a Juris Doctorate degree from Washington and Lee School of Law. ## Named Entities - **US Capitol building**: Location where the speaker attended the vote on the Dream Act. - **Dream Act**: Development, Education, and Relief for Alien Minors Act; the initial legislative goal. - **Arlington, Virginia**: Location where the speaker arrived at age five. - **Bolivia**: Country from which the speaker's family emigrated. - **Washington, D.C.**: Location of the US Capitol building; where the speaker obtained her J.D. - **Virginia**: State where the speaker's community and the Dream Project operate. - **Georgetown**: Location where early informal mentoring meetings were held. - **Southwestern Adventist University**: University from which the speaker graduated. - **Washington and Lee School of Law**: Law school from which the speaker obtained her J.D. ## Numbers & Data - Speaker's age in 2010: **16 years old**. - Student's age when arriving in Arlington: **5 years old**. - Votes needed to pass the Dream Act: **seven more votes** (failed by just five votes). - Scholarship award in **2011**: **4 scholarships** of **$2,000**. - Scholarship award in **2012**: **12 scholarships**. - Scholarships planned for the current year: **100 scholarships** at **$3,750** each. - Duration of scholarship renewal: Up to **five years**. - Proportion of students who had DACA a few years ago: **95%**. - Current proportion of students with DACA: **5%**. ## Examples & Cases - **Lack of In-State Tuition**: Many scholarships and universities required US citizenship or a Social Security number to apply, even in Virginia. - **The Initial Failure:** The Dream Act failed to pass the Senate, missing by only five votes. - **The First Fundraisers**: Took place at the home of school board member **Doctor Emma Violand Sanchez**, where parents catered events to raise money for scholarships. - **Community Support:** The speaker and students were supported by parents, community leaders, and Georgetown student volunteers in the early stages of the Project. - **Alumni Success:** Alumni are currently pursuing graduate degrees, including PhDs, and are enrolled in medical and law schools. ## Tools, Tech & Products - None mentioned. ## References Cited - **DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals)**: Policy program whose loss of eligibility created current barriers. ## Trade-offs & Alternatives - **Legislative Action vs. Local Action**: The attempt to pass the Dream Act via legislation was supplanted by grassroots organizing (fundraisers, community building) when the vote failed. - **Types of Support**: Moving from simple scholarship funds to formalized mentoring, scholarships, and CTE programs represents an increase in comprehensive support services. ## Counterarguments & Caveats - The current situation, though vastly improved from the period before DACA, still presents major barriers for students today that were previously managed by DACA status. - The speaker notes that despite improvements like in-state tuition, systemic issues persist. ## Methodology - **Community Organizing**: Grassroots efforts involving students, parents, and volunteers to pool resources and advocate for resources. - **Skill-Building/Mentoring**: Utilizing informal college student guidance for college application and SAT preparation. - **Fundraising/Catering**: Hosting community events to generate funds for scholarships. ## Conclusions & Recommendations - The Dream Project and its associated community are determined to continue supporting undocumented students across Virginia. - Students must continue crafting their own stories and building their own journeys despite lacking work authorization. - The overarching strategy remains community-based support and advocacy, paralleling the initial spirit of the group. ## Implications & Consequences - The failure of federal legislative action resulted in the creation of a vital, sustained, community-level infrastructure in Virginia. - The erosion of DACA protection means that the entire population segment is once again facing severe pre-DACA level hurdles. ## Verbatim Moments - *"I was a 16-year-old undocumented high school student."* - *"This was a time before Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, popularly known as DACA, existed."* - *"It was at her home that these first fundraisers took place."* - *"The Dream Project was born, an organization that was not yet officially incorporated."* - *"Washington and Lee School of Law."* - *"This year, we plan to give out 100 scholarships at $3,750 each, the largest amount we have ever given."* - *"Just a few years ago, 95% of the students the Dream project worked with had DACA. Now it's done down to 5 %."* - *"That is my story and the story of the Dream Project, a group of students, parents, college students and volunteers and community leaders who came together and made the first fold in what would become an organization that supports hundreds of students across Virginia every year."*