First cohort of Dream Scholars, Crear Futuros members, and scholar advisors in their first welcome meeting. Photo Credit: SUNY Old Westbury.
SUNY Old Westbury has always served and accepted undocumented students and students of all statuses. However, 2023 marks the first year SUNY OW accepts Dream U.S. Scholars! With double the expected cohort, this year OW welcomes twenty-one new scholars.
Universities and colleges must be invited by the Dream U.S. intuition to partner. Selection depends on the diverse population a school holds. SUNY OW, being Hispanic and minority serving, qualified.
This scholarship is the largest national college and career program for undocumented immigrant youth with or without DACA or TPS status. It provides eligible students with up to $33,000 for tuition and fees, plus a $1,500 yearly stipend for books and transportation.
The staff working behind-the-scenes for Dream Scholars includes Admissions Advisor for the Dream U.S, Jocelyn Morales; Special Assistant to the President, Lisandra Ramos; Scholar Advisors for Dream U.S., Sydney Williams and Rickey Guerra.
Jocelyn Morales. Photo Credit: Evelyn Avila
Jocelyn Morales first heard of the scholarship through the Institutional Advancement Office. She had already worked with undocumented students, which led her to take initiative to improve the process they must follow to verify their NYS residency for in-state tuition. She collaborated with some of her colleagues within Admissions to make changes. She always held a strong passion to help students, thus she was the perfect candidate when the position of Dream U.S. admissions advisor opened. “I was concerned to see new students enroll and then find they were being charged double because they were flagged as out of state when they were in fact eligible for in-state tuition.” Morales said.
Undocumented students typically have to endure an arduous and unfair process, Morales explained. “It is very stressful and anxiety provoking,” she said, acknowledging the emotional distress students have to go through to obtain the same tuition other students receive. She added, “if students are entitled to in-state tuition, they should feel confident that our university will ensure they will receive that.”
Morales hopes these students will achieve their goals. She said, “I hope to see them meet their full potential, pursue dreams, and give back to the community. I always enjoyed seeing students graduate, but I feel personally connected to this student cohort.” When asked if she hopes OW continues to accept Dream scholars, she replied with a warm and kind, “Absolutely yes!”
Lisandra Ramos. Photo Credits: Evelyn Avila.
Through the meeting between the Sillcox Foundation and President Sams, Lisandra Ramos first got insights of the scholarship. As the Special Assistant of Administration and Admissions, she had the opportunity to work with initiatives and work on campus supporting Hispanic students. “I am Latina myself, born from Dominican parents, two Dominican children, and I love to support the community in any way I can,” Ramos expressed, “so it is an added bonus to be on the projects I work on.”
She explained it is SUNY OW’s purpose to help underrepresented students. “SUNY OW cannot not accept dream scholars. It contradicts our mission. It precedes us. It’s part of our DNA,” she said. Ramos continued, “I expect [Dream scholars] to live their value system out loud, fight for what they believe, find a way to create pathways, build a legacy, help and bring out other students who need mentorship support.”
Ramos also pointed out the leadership skills the Dream scholars can foster and practice. She expressed, “I would like to see them become leaders and continue to grow, give back to the community, and help OW students down the line… to lead the way.” Ramos certainly hopes SUNY OW continues to accept Dream Scholars.
Sydney Willaims .Photo Credit: Evelyn Avila
Sydney Willaims first heard of the scholarship via an email from the administration in October of 2022. “This was very recent and new,” she explained. As a Student Success Coach, she worked with the first generation department, so when she was asked to become the Scholar Advisor for Dream scholars, she instantly agreed. “It went in part with my mission,” Williams said. “I was able to support first gen students and bring what we have to them. It goes along with my mission statement here at OW.”
She explained that in order for a student to succeed they need to feel represented and respected in the environment they are in. “When you are in your first year, you are not sure about yourself, but you feel more confident when you have explored more options and better know yourself,” Williams said. “Students need to feel safe, represented, and supported so they can feel confident and proud of all they do.”
Williams also emphasized the importance of Crear Futuros, a program at SUNY OW that provides peer mentorship to first-year students. This program helps create the space students need to feel safe and represented, which she explains is the key to a student’s success. She said she “100%” hopes SUNY OW continues to accept Dream scholars.
Ricky Guerra.Photo Credit: Evelyn Avila
Ricky Guerra first heard of the scholarship from the Office of Institutional Advancement. “It was exciting to hear how me and Sydney [Williams] will be part of the process and be able to assist students,” he expressed. He accepted the offer of becoming a Scholar Advisor because he feels “this is an opportunity to help students of a larger community and be able to provide support, be a friendly face, and provide opportunities/give any help offered to students on campus.”
Guerra hopes to see these scholars grow and become the people they strive to be. “I know they will not only have a positive impact,” she said, “but they will open OW in ways that it hasn’t before.” He hopes OW will continue to accept Dream scholars, saying he hopes “SUNY OW becomes a leader in the Dream community.
