Consuelo Ramirez

On September 7th Delaware State University Dreamers had their annual meet with Dr. President Tony Allen. This annual meeting covers the Dreamer’s experiences, growing concerns, and any comments they hold. Dreamers are students in locked out states that have been granted the opportunity to study under a scholarship awarded by the TheDream.US.

“I am happy to be alongside you…” were the words that President Tony Allen used when introducing himself on the WebEx meet. Commencing the meet, Dreamers were able to discuss concerns that have been growing rapidly over the course of the year. Issues that included, alienation, lack of resources, and career services.

“You also out perform every student cohort in the University…you are an exceptional return on investment” said President Tony Allen to the Dreamers. With exceeding grades and effort, the students continued to wonder why requests were not being met. Many of the Dreamers felt like these concerns were not being taken seriously.

An issue that was quick to be resolved was providing a Mexican flag outside of the MLK. One Freshman student voiced, “The lovely flags in front of the school pose so many different countries, we were wondering when will there be a Mexican flag to represent the hispanic community that is here.” In two months there will be a new flag joining the others outside of the MLK building.

“Strong advocates” were words that President Allen used to describe the Dreamers.

“I think that being off campus definitely hurts us…a lot of us don’t have transportation, so we depend on the shuttle” commented Amayrani Ramos. Over the years many of the Dreamers do not feel integrated into the University. President Allen’s response was to ensure there be more communication and an option for Dreamers to be housed on campus.

After the meeting Ramos discussed her view on the situation. Ramos explained the importance of community, education, and services. “It feels like they only contact us when they need photo ops” stated Ramos. Being on the board of the DACA.ORG, Ramos explains the difficulty of getting rooms for meetings, receiving emails, and having reliable help.

Furthermore, it is imperative that people know and understand what the DACA.ORG is. An organization filled with Dreamers and students on campus which come together to advocate, provide support and awareness.