Hector's Columbia Journey Year #2
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"Contra Viento y Marea" (Against All Odds) - Feature in 2018 March Issue of People en Español Magazine
"Dreamer" Hector: "I am very worried" - RTL Nieuws New York Segment
Univision Palm Springs Reportage: "Estudiante latino busca ayuda de la comunidad" - Latino Graduate Student Seeks Community Support
People en Espanol VIP TV Interview - Este #DREAMer fue aceptado en las universidades más prestigiosas y hoy lucha por no ser deportado. #PeopleVIP
"I'm a Mailman Dreamer" - Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health Transmission Article
Dear Friends, Family, and Allies:
My name is Hector Leonardo Sanchez Perez and I am a current undocumented graduate student at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health pursuing a Master of Public Health degree in Sociomedical Sciences. The last time I wrote a letter like this was in mid-April of last year when I launched a previous GoFundMe campaign to help pay my educational expenses for graduate school. A year has almost passed since that campaign and I am forever grateful for all of the supporters that helped me get to New York today. It has truly been a journey filled with growth and new experiences.
I am writing this letter with the intention of seeking support for my educational expenses of my second and final year at Columbia. Today is exactly one year since I got my acceptance letter to one of the top five public health schools in the United States. With this in mind, I am truly excited for what is to come in the 2018-2019 school year. However, before I share my story and my humble upbrings, I would first of all like to acknowledge the relevance of undocumented immigrants in the current political climate. As you will soon learn, I have had the privilege of being on media to share my voice and demand members of Congress to pass legislation for students known as “Dreamers.” Although I recognize that this is an important issue that needs an immediate solution, I would like to acknowledge that we must not forget the immigrants that do not qualify for legislation such as the Dream Act. There are many undocumented immigrants in this country that have their own story and aspirations for a better life. Their lives matter as much as mine and they also deserve equal protection from deportation just as “Dreamer” students do.
I was born in Oaxaca, Mexico and immigrated to the United States when I was a mere 4 months old. My parents left everything behind in Mexico to give my siblings and I a better life than they had and not endure their hardships. My family would settle down in a town within the Coachella Valley named Chiriaco Summit. My parents raised my siblings and myself on the importance of getting an education, trabajando duro (working hard), and being kind. As I would learn as I grew older, my father once too had dreams of attending college to get an education. However, due to certain circumstances, he would not be able to achieve his dream.
In 2012, I graduated from high school and I would be the first in my family to attend a four-year university. For the next five years, I would complete my undergraduate education at UCLA where I majored in Biology and minored in Chicana and Chicano Studies. These five years in Los Angeles were some of the best years of my life so far where I discovered my passions in medicine, public health, service, and activism. Throughout my undergraduate years, my involvement outside of the classroom consisted of being: a team facilitator for the Future Physician Leaders program, a caseworker for the Mobile Clinic Project @ UCLA, a project director for the AB540 Project, a principal investigator with the UndocuBruins research program, an on-site coordinator for the UCLA LeaderShape Institute, a Health Career Connection summer intern at Desert Regional Medical Center & Planned Parenthood, and a work study assistant at the UCLA Center for Health Services and Society.
Last year, I began my studies at Columbia University and began a new chapter of my life. I remember being nervous and happy in mid-August as I departed from LAX to arrive in JFK. Unbeknownst to me at that time, the next 6 months would be an adventure filled with new experiences both good and bad. The first few months of adjusting to New York City and my new school were not easy which compelled me to seek mental health services for my anxiety issues. I guess I had a hard time letting go of my community in Los Angeles and the Coachella Valley which hindered my ability to make community in a place so foreign to me. However, I reminded myself on my passions of public health and activism and used it as my motivation to grow and learn from this opportunity. Needless to say, my activism has given me the privilege to share my story to movie stars (John Leguizamo), the March 2018 issue of People en Español, and Dutch TV news network RTL Nieuws. Furthermore, I focused a lot of energy into my studies which allowed me to achieve straight A’s my very first semester!!
Unfortunately, as a DACA (undocumented) student, I am not eligible to receive federal student aid, the traditional method of funding graduate school. My only option is to finance my education through private loans, an option that is nearly impossible to obtain for my low-income family and will place a great burden on any potential co-signer. Therefore, I am reaching out to my network to fundraise funds for my Columbia MPH degree. I will do my part in applying for scholarships, working, and finding other ways to obtain funds.
I received a generous scholarship from Columbia that covers ⅔ of tuition. However, I still need to cover the rest of tuition, fees, health insurance, transportation costs, living expenses, flight expenses, books and other needed materials. In total, this comes out to approximately $40,000. This figure is a large obstacle but with your help I know we can succeed.
It has taken a village to get me through my first year at Columbia University. I would not have gotten to where I am at without the support my friends, family, allies, teachers, mentors/femtors, and immigrant brothers and sisters. If you choose to give any donation, please consider it as an investment rather than a donation. Investing in me is investing into the future, especially the future health of our Latino communities. I will be giving back to my community through public health and medicine as a way of thanking all of the inspiring people who have helped me on my journey. Overall, I am an aspiring doctor who only wishes to give back to his community.
I will not let you down at Columbia should you choose to invest in me and I will continue breaking down barriers for undocumented students and students of color. ¡Sí se puede!
Warmest Regards,
Hector Leonardo Sanchez Perez
Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health | MPH Candidate | Class of 2019
Health Policy Research Assistant | Columbia University School of Nursing
Diversity and Inclusion Chair | Mailman School Graduate Student Association
"Dreamer" Hector: "I am very worried" - RTL Nieuws New York Segment
Univision Palm Springs Reportage: "Estudiante latino busca ayuda de la comunidad" - Latino Graduate Student Seeks Community Support
People en Espanol VIP TV Interview - Este #DREAMer fue aceptado en las universidades más prestigiosas y hoy lucha por no ser deportado. #PeopleVIP
"I'm a Mailman Dreamer" - Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health Transmission Article
Dear Friends, Family, and Allies:
My name is Hector Leonardo Sanchez Perez and I am a current undocumented graduate student at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health pursuing a Master of Public Health degree in Sociomedical Sciences. The last time I wrote a letter like this was in mid-April of last year when I launched a previous GoFundMe campaign to help pay my educational expenses for graduate school. A year has almost passed since that campaign and I am forever grateful for all of the supporters that helped me get to New York today. It has truly been a journey filled with growth and new experiences.
I am writing this letter with the intention of seeking support for my educational expenses of my second and final year at Columbia. Today is exactly one year since I got my acceptance letter to one of the top five public health schools in the United States. With this in mind, I am truly excited for what is to come in the 2018-2019 school year. However, before I share my story and my humble upbrings, I would first of all like to acknowledge the relevance of undocumented immigrants in the current political climate. As you will soon learn, I have had the privilege of being on media to share my voice and demand members of Congress to pass legislation for students known as “Dreamers.” Although I recognize that this is an important issue that needs an immediate solution, I would like to acknowledge that we must not forget the immigrants that do not qualify for legislation such as the Dream Act. There are many undocumented immigrants in this country that have their own story and aspirations for a better life. Their lives matter as much as mine and they also deserve equal protection from deportation just as “Dreamer” students do.
I was born in Oaxaca, Mexico and immigrated to the United States when I was a mere 4 months old. My parents left everything behind in Mexico to give my siblings and I a better life than they had and not endure their hardships. My family would settle down in a town within the Coachella Valley named Chiriaco Summit. My parents raised my siblings and myself on the importance of getting an education, trabajando duro (working hard), and being kind. As I would learn as I grew older, my father once too had dreams of attending college to get an education. However, due to certain circumstances, he would not be able to achieve his dream.
In 2012, I graduated from high school and I would be the first in my family to attend a four-year university. For the next five years, I would complete my undergraduate education at UCLA where I majored in Biology and minored in Chicana and Chicano Studies. These five years in Los Angeles were some of the best years of my life so far where I discovered my passions in medicine, public health, service, and activism. Throughout my undergraduate years, my involvement outside of the classroom consisted of being: a team facilitator for the Future Physician Leaders program, a caseworker for the Mobile Clinic Project @ UCLA, a project director for the AB540 Project, a principal investigator with the UndocuBruins research program, an on-site coordinator for the UCLA LeaderShape Institute, a Health Career Connection summer intern at Desert Regional Medical Center & Planned Parenthood, and a work study assistant at the UCLA Center for Health Services and Society.
Last year, I began my studies at Columbia University and began a new chapter of my life. I remember being nervous and happy in mid-August as I departed from LAX to arrive in JFK. Unbeknownst to me at that time, the next 6 months would be an adventure filled with new experiences both good and bad. The first few months of adjusting to New York City and my new school were not easy which compelled me to seek mental health services for my anxiety issues. I guess I had a hard time letting go of my community in Los Angeles and the Coachella Valley which hindered my ability to make community in a place so foreign to me. However, I reminded myself on my passions of public health and activism and used it as my motivation to grow and learn from this opportunity. Needless to say, my activism has given me the privilege to share my story to movie stars (John Leguizamo), the March 2018 issue of People en Español, and Dutch TV news network RTL Nieuws. Furthermore, I focused a lot of energy into my studies which allowed me to achieve straight A’s my very first semester!!
Unfortunately, as a DACA (undocumented) student, I am not eligible to receive federal student aid, the traditional method of funding graduate school. My only option is to finance my education through private loans, an option that is nearly impossible to obtain for my low-income family and will place a great burden on any potential co-signer. Therefore, I am reaching out to my network to fundraise funds for my Columbia MPH degree. I will do my part in applying for scholarships, working, and finding other ways to obtain funds.
I received a generous scholarship from Columbia that covers ⅔ of tuition. However, I still need to cover the rest of tuition, fees, health insurance, transportation costs, living expenses, flight expenses, books and other needed materials. In total, this comes out to approximately $40,000. This figure is a large obstacle but with your help I know we can succeed.
It has taken a village to get me through my first year at Columbia University. I would not have gotten to where I am at without the support my friends, family, allies, teachers, mentors/femtors, and immigrant brothers and sisters. If you choose to give any donation, please consider it as an investment rather than a donation. Investing in me is investing into the future, especially the future health of our Latino communities. I will be giving back to my community through public health and medicine as a way of thanking all of the inspiring people who have helped me on my journey. Overall, I am an aspiring doctor who only wishes to give back to his community.
I will not let you down at Columbia should you choose to invest in me and I will continue breaking down barriers for undocumented students and students of color. ¡Sí se puede!
Warmest Regards,
Hector Leonardo Sanchez Perez
Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health | MPH Candidate | Class of 2019
Health Policy Research Assistant | Columbia University School of Nursing
Diversity and Inclusion Chair | Mailman School Graduate Student Association
Organizer
Hector Leonardo Sanchez Perez
Organizer
New York, NY
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