ABSTRACT
At the beginning of her senior year in high school, Penelope came to terms with the harsh reality that her undocumented status would affect her future educational opportunities in the United States. Penelope’s worry about paying for college is a common experience for many students as they near high school graduation. Penelope has overcome many hardships in her personal life to get where she is today. She was only nine years old when she came to the United States with her family. This instability forced Penelope’s family to move around frequently when she was young. When Penelope first started school in the United States, she was placed in English-language development classes with other recently arrived students who did not speak or understand English. Penelope credits her parents for helping her to stay positive and motivated to keep moving forward in pursuing her education.
