Sonoma State’s Undocu-Resource center will be undergoing changes throughout this academic year — a new name will be implemented as well as program expansion. Rosa Salamanca, the coordinator of the now called DREAM Center, shared that the name change is due to “a collaborative effort with the students to increase accessibility and visibility for the students who are served through this program.”
She also shared how she felt about these changes. “It’s exciting to be part of the program and the changes that are taking place. All the credits should be given to the students, their strengths and resilience drive the vision and mission of the center’” she said. “Thanks are also given to the campus community and the community at large for the continuous support.”
DREAM is an acronym that stands for Dreamers Resource Empowerment Advocacy Mentoring.
Salamanca explained this name change was necessary because there are a lot of students who are still struggling with self-identifying as undocumented. This new name offers them a more comfortable way to self-identify.
Salamanca explained that the DREAM center is a place where undocumented students, student who have family members that are undocumented, or any student that struggle with their immigration status can come and unwind their stress as well as seek resources and support.
Last year there were about 200 undocumented students attending the university.
She made it clear that she has legal experience but is not an attorney, so she can’t help with immigration paperwork but has the connections and resources to point students in the right direction for whatever their needs may be.
The DREAM center is planning on bringing legal services into the program so that students have access to professional help regarding immigration status. This will benefit students who are undocumented and would like to apply to become a permanent resident of the United States.
Another exciting change for the DREAM center is the possible expansion of programming, with the potential to start an entrepreneur program and independent contracting.
Also, the program hopes to offer more coffee-talk style group meeting where students can share their experiences and how they overcame difficult situations. This kind of group talk will hopefully bring about some positive change sin the lives of those students who struggle to succeed because of their immigration status. Rosa shared that “Student ideas are bringing about this change.” She mentioned a conference last semester that about 75 students attended and they shared what they thought would improve the program and now some of those changes are being implemented.
“My experience with the DREAM center has been wonderful. The DREAM center has become a place where I know I will always find support and answers to my questions. Rosa has been so helpful and is always there to help me through tough moments,” Sonoma State student Yatziry Galvan said. “Although this is my last year at Sonoma State I am really excited to see how the DREAM center evolves over the years. I am hopeful that the school will eventually be able to provide a physical space for the DREAM center where undocumented students will feel safe and where student will be able to gather and socialize.”
Galvan said the DREAM center has provided her with answers to questions regarding the resources that she qualifies for as an undocumented student. Undocumented students don’t qualify for all of the programs on campus, she said. “If it weren’t for the DREAM center I wouldn’t know where to go to ask those highly sensitive and difficult questions.”
Another Sonoma State student, Suhary Carmona, said “Ever since I was introduce to the DREAM center I’ve been more involved on campus. It has introduced me to many scholarships which can be hard to find specifically for dreamers.” She noted there are many scholarships that don’t allow dreamers to apply. “
“The help that I get from the DREAM center and their knowledge of these scholarships does help reduce the stress and allows me be more attentive of my studies, allowing me to perform better,” she said.
According to Sonoma State’s website, 33 percent of the university’s 8,600 undergraduates are Hispanic. Last year, the campus was federally designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution. “It’s not enough to just open our doors to Latino students and others who have been traditionally underrepresented on college campuses. We must do everything we can to help all of our students succeed and graduate,” university President Judy Sakaki said after the school received this distinction.
“Students feel skeptical about who to trust and who not to trust under Trump’s administration” Salamanca said. The DREAM center allows a safe space for students to make meaningful and helpful connections that will help them in the future regardless of the immigration barriers they may encounter. She also said “I think student are more skeptical about sharing their identity publicly, hence the name change…under this administration being anti-immigrant has become normalized…levels of anxiety, stress, and uncertainty have risen for undocumented students.”
The DREAM center is on a mission to connect those students who feel like they do not have enough tools to succeed with people and resources on and off campus that will help them achieve their goals.
The dream center is a safe space for all undocumented students or students who have anyone in their family who is undocumented and needs to find a community that will help them succeed in the university. It is located in Salazar room 1060.
