Western New Mexico University students who are protected under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) will share their stories during a Celebrating DACA Forum on October 4, 2017, at 6:00 p.m. in Miller Library.
A Hispanic Heritage Month event, the forum will feature three protected students who will talk about the political changes affecting their designation status. Panelists Stephanie Dayana Baez Mendez, Marco Ravelo and Grecia Rivas will also discuss their successes as people who grew up in the United States and are now involved on campus.
Baez hails from Cananea, Sonora, México. An Applied Math major, she will soon graduate with a double minor in Chemistry and Spanish. “It is important to educate the community on what DACA is so that we may find ways to help students under the DACA program, and also so that they may be educated and see the facts about this issue,” she said.
Born in Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, Mexico, Ravelo moved here from the small town of Ascension at age five. “I consider Silver City my hometown. I’ve lived here most of my life. I may not have been born here, but I was raised here. This place has become my home,” he said.
The Silver High School graduate enrolled at WNMU in order to pursue a nursing degree. He recently earned his Eagle Scout ranking with the Boy Scouts of America, is a musician and enjoys playing tennis and soccer.
Rivas earned her bachelor of fine arts degree from WNMU this past spring and is now working toward her Masters in sociology and political science. “I came with my parents from Nogales, Sonora, when I was three years old, and I’ve been here since. I haven’t gone back in over fifteen years,” she said. “We organized this forum as a way for the community to get informed and raise awareness of why DACA is important and how it affects our community.”
At the event, artwork created by Rivas will be on sale. Proceeds will be donated to a DACA application renewal fund. For more information about this Celebrating DACA Forum, contact 575-538-6336.