EVENT ARCHIVE: Serving Undocumented Students: Mitigating Micro and Macro Barriers to Create an Inclusive Campus

An uncertain political climate has left many students from marginalized communities even more vulnerable as they pursue their college educations.  Students who are undocumented face unique challenges on college campuses that are affected by multiple institutional, state, and federal policies and practices.  Participants will be introduced to barriers faced by both DACAmented and undocumented students.

The presenters, from both private and public colleges, featured student perspectives in the context of frequently confusing and conflicting policies and financial limitations.  The online discussion provided strategies on enlisting institutional and community partners to create opportunities for students to achieve their educational goals.

POWERPOINT PRESENTATION

Click here to view/download the .pdf used during the presentation.

PANELISTS

Lucero “Lucy” Aradillas, MA
Lucero “Lucy” Aradillas, MAAssociate Director of Multicultural Affairs, Georgia Southern University
Lucero “Lucy” Aradillas currently serves as the Associate Director of Multicultural Affairs at Georgia Southern University. A native of Houston, Texas, Aradillas was raised in Monterrey, Mexico until her family settled in Kennesaw, GA at the age of 9. She received her B.S in Political Science from Kennesaw State University and her Master’s degree from Armstrong State University in Professional Communication and Leadership in 2015. Passionate about student success and retention programs for underrepresented students, particularly within the Latino community, she is currently pursuing her Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from Georgia Southern University. She lives in Savannah with her husband, Yovany, and two sons, Javier and Maximiliano.
Gerardo Ochoa, Ed.M.
Gerardo Ochoa, Ed.M.Assistant Dean for Diversity and Community Partnerships, Linfield College (OR)
Gerardo Ochoa is Assistant Dean for Diversity and Community Partnerships at Linfield College in McMinnville and Portland, OR. He has served Linfield in multiple capacities since 2004. As Assistant Dean he leads efforts to diversify faculty and staff and uphold a culture of inclusivity and belonging. Mr. Ochoa holds formal appointments to the President’s Diversity Advisory Committee (co-chair) and the College’s strategic planning and budget councils.

Mr. Ochoa is also co-author and independent consultant of Path to Scholarships®, a college readiness curriculum. Since 2006, he has worked with thousands of diverse students from urban and rural high schools, community colleges, private colleges, and state universities on college access and affordability. He consults with higher education institutions on the inclusion of Latinx students, best practices to engage and serve undocumented students, and teaching strategies that draw on talents and address the needs of first-generation students. He believes in the power of personal stories to build empathy, create opportunities, and influence change. As keynote speaker, his story of perseverance has reached audiences convened by organizations such as the Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, the Ford Family Foundation, and Portland State University.

Mr. Ochoa holds an Education Masters from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and minor in Latin American History from the University of Oregon. He is an American Leadership Forum Fellow and an alumni of the Senior Leadership Academy sponsored by the Council of Independent Colleges and the American Academic Leadership Institute. He is a contributing author for Latinx/a/os in Higher Education and a regular education writer for the Somos Timbers Magazine. Gerardo is a proud father of a recent college graduate, and lives with his wife and their five-pound yorkie named Mambo.