Educational Resilience of an Undocumented Immigrant Student: Educators as Bridge Makers

Abstract

Despite facing multiple challenges in obtaining a college degree, some immigrant students successfully navigate the US educational system. Learning about their experiences in our schools can help us identify and implement specific practices and policies that make schooling more rewarding for a large student population. The journey of a Guatemalan immigrant from elementary school to a 4-year university is described in this article. The obstacles she faced throughout are presented and ways in which hurdles were overcome are explained. Educators from kindergarten teachers to university professors are encouraged to learn about the context in which students emigrate to the US and the multitude of out-ofschool factors that influence their educational achievement.