ABSTRACT
As the oldest of five children, Nicole came to the United States as a four-year-old and attended a public elementary school in Chicago. She describes her first day in kindergarten as ‘‘traumatic.’’ She didn’t understand English and felt she had no one to turn to for help. In elementary school, Nicole’s first major obstacle was language, followed by neighborhood violence and poor teachers, all of which caused her much anxiety. Nicole was an excellent student both in and out of the classroom. Despite the setbacks, Nicole remained true to her ambition, working very hard during her two years at community college. After 16 years of uncertainty, anxiety, and fear, she and her family received legal status under the amnesty law.
