Nelly Olea Trujillo has dedicated her life to teaching, mentoring, and serving her community. A proud graduate of Norristown High School and West Chester University—where she earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees—Nelly is now a doctoral student at Wilkes University, pursuing an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership. She has been teaching French at Upper Merion Area School District since 2019, co-sponsors the school’s CREATE Club, and for two years she was an integral part of the Adult ESL Program, where she taught English to immigrant families at no cost. Teaching and uplifting others has always been at the center of her life.
Today, Nelly faces an unexpected and heartbreaking challenge. She is a Dreamer under DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), a program that grants young people brought to the U.S. as children temporary protection from deportation and legal authorization to work. Although she submitted her DACA renewal on time, her status expired in mid-August due to severe processing delays at USCIS.
As a result, Nelly has been on unpaid leave for more than three weeks and is currently unable to work anywhere until her work authorization is approved. Despite reaching out to USCIS, the CIS Ombudsman, her congresswoman, and her senators, her case has not moved forward. According to USCIS, renewals should take no longer than 120 days, yet Nelly’s application has been pending for over 140 days. Even if she gets it approved, it could be a long time until she goes back to work.
This delay has left her without a paycheck, without health insurance, and struggling to cover her most basic needs. She now faces the burden of paying for rent and medical care for ongoing health conditions, among other things. During this time, some of her students have written to ask when she will be back, showing how much she is missed at school.
Nelly has always given so much to her students and her community. Now, she needs support to help her get through this difficult time until USCIS processes her work authorization and she can return to the job and students she loves. Donations will go directly toward:
• Rent and living expenses while she is unable to work
• Medical care and prescriptions since she lost her health benefits
Every contribution, no matter the size, will help Nelly bridge this gap and return to the classroom where she belongs. She is eager to continue serving as the dedicated teacher, mentor, and community leader she has always been. Any leftover monies will be donated to Project Libertad to help other Norristown families.