From Hard Hat to MD- Let's Care For Our Community.
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Hello friends, family, and the community:
My name is Brian Garcia and I write to you from the beautiful border-city of Laredo in the state of Texas. It is with great respect that I reach out to you because I believe that unity makes us stronger and together, we can always achieve greater things. It is with profound humility that I gladly announce that due to my persistence, long hours of study, and above all, due to a burning desire for success, I have been admitted as a first-year medical student at the University Chicago Loyola Stritch School of Medicine. However, there is but one small detail I must mention: I, like more than 600,000 individuals in this country, benefit from the program President Obama established in the year 2012 against criticism and controversy. Yes, I am a DACA recipient and it is thanks to this policy that today I have the audacity to aspire for a better future and dream of upward mobility. Before I proceed, I understand that some of you may agree or disagree with this program and, while I respect your opinion, I believe this is not the time or place to fight over our differences. I ask that you read my message and view me as a fellow American, as a friend, view me as a human being.
I’ll tell you a little secret and trust that I tell you this not because I want pity but because I seek to provide some context to my story. I come from a humble family. My mother, a beautiful and loving woman, has dedicated most of her life to tend to my family’s needs and raise me and my two younger sisters to be productive members of society. Similarly, my father, a diligent and hard-working man, is a construction worker who would willingly work every day and every night for the rest of his life if it meant that his family has an opportunity to thrive. As for myself, I have spent much of my adolescence and young adulthood working by my father’s side in order to provide food and shelter to our family. Despite missing out on many activities and events during my high school years or working on this field while attending college, I have never complained about my situation because my experiences have allowed me to build my character and resilience. But most importantly, laboring for long hours in construction has given me the opportunity to spend time in an environment that is predominantly composed of immigrants and low-income individuals. This in turn, has made me realize that I live in a part of society that has been medically marginalized for many years. I have witnessed men getting injured at work, families being unable to afford medical treatment, even my own father has been battling an inguinal hernia that we can’t afford to treat. Thus, this knowledge compels me to pursue a career in medicine because I feel it is my moral responsibility to take care of my community.
Unfortunately, it may sometimes appear as if even our greatest efforts are not enough to achieve our goals and dreams. As you may or may not know, DACA recipients are ineligible to receive federal or state financial aid. Furthermore, private lenders refuse to provide loans because we lack a permanent social security number. To make matters worse, Loyola officials have been unable to secure funds to help me finance my education. Just last Friday, I was contacted by school officials informing me that if I am unable to provide proof of the resources to cover my tuition by May 1st, I will be asked to give up my spot in the class. The very spot I have worked so hard to earn. This situation is frustrating and insulting because I am not in this position due to incompetence but rather as a result of factors that are way beyond my control. I believe that my genuine desire to help along with my physical endurance and mental capacity to receive training as a physician were the core reasons Loyola officials selected me from a pool of over 5 thousand candidates.
So, dear reader, I ask for your help to allow me to complete this crusade. I’m setting my goal to $250,000 dollars for 4 years of tuition. However, I urgently need $86,000 which is the equivalent to the first year of tuition, fees, and living expenses. The following items are associated with this cost:
Tuition
Activity Fee
Student Health Service
Student Health Insurance
Health & Fitness Center
Computer Fees
Disability Insurance
Medical Equipment
Please, dear reader, I sincerely ask for your help to acquire these funds and to help me spread my message. Please give me the opportunity to trade my measuring tape for a stethoscope, to trade my steel-toe boots for scrubs. Please allow me to make a lasting impact in my community.
My name is Brian Garcia and I write to you from the beautiful border-city of Laredo in the state of Texas. It is with great respect that I reach out to you because I believe that unity makes us stronger and together, we can always achieve greater things. It is with profound humility that I gladly announce that due to my persistence, long hours of study, and above all, due to a burning desire for success, I have been admitted as a first-year medical student at the University Chicago Loyola Stritch School of Medicine. However, there is but one small detail I must mention: I, like more than 600,000 individuals in this country, benefit from the program President Obama established in the year 2012 against criticism and controversy. Yes, I am a DACA recipient and it is thanks to this policy that today I have the audacity to aspire for a better future and dream of upward mobility. Before I proceed, I understand that some of you may agree or disagree with this program and, while I respect your opinion, I believe this is not the time or place to fight over our differences. I ask that you read my message and view me as a fellow American, as a friend, view me as a human being.
I’ll tell you a little secret and trust that I tell you this not because I want pity but because I seek to provide some context to my story. I come from a humble family. My mother, a beautiful and loving woman, has dedicated most of her life to tend to my family’s needs and raise me and my two younger sisters to be productive members of society. Similarly, my father, a diligent and hard-working man, is a construction worker who would willingly work every day and every night for the rest of his life if it meant that his family has an opportunity to thrive. As for myself, I have spent much of my adolescence and young adulthood working by my father’s side in order to provide food and shelter to our family. Despite missing out on many activities and events during my high school years or working on this field while attending college, I have never complained about my situation because my experiences have allowed me to build my character and resilience. But most importantly, laboring for long hours in construction has given me the opportunity to spend time in an environment that is predominantly composed of immigrants and low-income individuals. This in turn, has made me realize that I live in a part of society that has been medically marginalized for many years. I have witnessed men getting injured at work, families being unable to afford medical treatment, even my own father has been battling an inguinal hernia that we can’t afford to treat. Thus, this knowledge compels me to pursue a career in medicine because I feel it is my moral responsibility to take care of my community.
Unfortunately, it may sometimes appear as if even our greatest efforts are not enough to achieve our goals and dreams. As you may or may not know, DACA recipients are ineligible to receive federal or state financial aid. Furthermore, private lenders refuse to provide loans because we lack a permanent social security number. To make matters worse, Loyola officials have been unable to secure funds to help me finance my education. Just last Friday, I was contacted by school officials informing me that if I am unable to provide proof of the resources to cover my tuition by May 1st, I will be asked to give up my spot in the class. The very spot I have worked so hard to earn. This situation is frustrating and insulting because I am not in this position due to incompetence but rather as a result of factors that are way beyond my control. I believe that my genuine desire to help along with my physical endurance and mental capacity to receive training as a physician were the core reasons Loyola officials selected me from a pool of over 5 thousand candidates.
So, dear reader, I ask for your help to allow me to complete this crusade. I’m setting my goal to $250,000 dollars for 4 years of tuition. However, I urgently need $86,000 which is the equivalent to the first year of tuition, fees, and living expenses. The following items are associated with this cost:
Tuition
Activity Fee
Student Health Service
Student Health Insurance
Health & Fitness Center
Computer Fees
Disability Insurance
Medical Equipment
Please, dear reader, I sincerely ask for your help to acquire these funds and to help me spread my message. Please give me the opportunity to trade my measuring tape for a stethoscope, to trade my steel-toe boots for scrubs. Please allow me to make a lasting impact in my community.
Organizer
Brian Garcia
Organizer
Laredo, TX
