Our Story
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Many thanks go to Nicole Romero for the production of this video, to Stephanie Liscano (first year student at NJIT) for the incredible artwork, to Angie Ruiz (senior at Elizabeth High School) for narration, and to Dio and Abner (Rutgers New Brunswick graduates), as well as to all of the members of Make the Road New Jersey’s Youth Power Project (YPP) for their concept idea and feedback. Youth power forever!
Testimonies
"Four years ago, I began high school knowing I would go to college, but unsure of how I could afford it. For my classmates, college was almost a guarantee, while Dreamers like myself struggled to pay in-state tuition out of pocket while supporting their families. I met with legislators, hit the streets with NJ Dreamers, and spoke at press conferences about how unrealistic it was for my single mother to pay tuition without state financial aid. On May 9th of 2018, I stood beside Governor Phil Murphy with tears in my eyes as he signed the financial aid bill that gave thousands of Dreamers access to higher education. Sí se pudo."
- Erika Martínez, 18, first year student at St. Peter's University
"Two years ago, I knew getting accepted to college wouldn’t be the hard part — I had worked really hard throughout high school. Still, I remember staying up and dedicating countless hours writing essays for private scholarships that were highly competitive. I am happy to see that New Jersey has chosen to invest in Dreamers like me. I am now able to focus more on my career and participate in school clubs instead of working nonstop to meet payment deadlines."
- Rey Amaya, second year engineering student at Fairleigh Dickinson University