Bright and determined Reydesel Salvidrez was on the point of despair eight years ago when he realized he couldn’t continue his studies or go to college being an undocumented student.
Rey, as his friends call him, came to the United States from Chihuahua, Mexico with his parents and siblings at the age of ten in the early 2000’s.
After graduating from Denver East High School in 2011, he wanted to study criminal justice at the Metropolitan State University (MSU) Denver, but he was not eligible for in-state tuition, and his family could not afford to pay the full tuition. At the time, his father was a construction foreman, and his mother was a housekeeping manager. Eventually, Rey was forced to drop out and work alongside his father. He was deeply depressed about giving up his dream of getting an education.
Distressed, he thought of ending his life. Rey was only 19. But, the thoughts of the consequences it would have on his younger siblings, two brothers Luis, 16, and Rafael, 11, and sister Jennifer, 9, altered his momentary negative decision and gave him strength. At that moment, his new purpose was to always be there for them.
Not ready to call it quits yet, Rey and his mother decided to talk to the guidance counselor at Denver East High School about his options. He essentially just shrugged his shoulders because, for undocumented students wishing to attend college, options were very limited.
Extremely sad, but determined not to give up, Rey kept himself busy helping his father at his construction job. Until 2012, when vision changed after the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) program was announced, giving him the right to live and work in the United State. However, by that time, Rey was no longer set on becoming a detective. He decided to pursue a career that would allow him to help other students never feel trapped the way he did.
When President Obama announced the DACA program Rey was able to apply for his paperwork. It took him almost six months to get organized.
DACA protects undocumented people from deportation and allows them to work in the United States. Because this new program, Rey was able to obtain a driver’s license and an employment authorization card, renewable every two years.
When he had all his papers in order, Rey decided to talk to an advisor at MSU. He was advised to start at the Community College of Denver (CCD), then transfer to MSU, as it would be more affordable.
According to Rey, attending the Community College of Denver in the fall of 2012 was the biggest blessing he could have asked for. It was hard in the beginning because undocumented students have to pay out of state tuition, But, with low tuition and scholarships, he managed to step into his education dream.
Rey recalled that he didn’t have an answer as a child when people asked what he wanted to be when he grew up. His initial dream was to become a police officer or a detective – but even back then, he knew his immigration status meant that this dream would most likely be impossible to reach.
“I had been brought to Denver from Mexico by my parents and in those days undocumented immigrants couldn’t even get Colorado driver’s licenses, leave alone jobs in law enforcement.”
While Rey was working hard to excel in school and stay on top of his tuition payments, in 2013 a new Colorado law made it possible for him to qualify for in-state tuition. The bill is known as the Advancing Students for a Stronger Economy Tomorrow (ASSET) bill. This lightened Rey’s financial burden and allowed him to complete his program at the Community College of Denver and eventually transfer to the University of Colorado Denver.
Rey who grew up in a mixed-status family said the support system he received at CCD helped him build his confidence made him feel less isolated.
“One of the things I love about CCD is the community atmosphere and the feeling of family they gave me. They believed in me. I never had that kind of support growing up,” said Rey.“Being in that atmosphere and surrounded by people who believed in me gave me hope. I started enjoying being in CCD and not doubting myself.”
Another great thing at CCD which further boosted his success story is the Urban Male Initiative (UMI) program, which gave him a mentor to support him up to his graduation. Rey is full of praise for the UMI program at CCD. This program helped him immensely. It assisted him to recognize unique challenges through mentoring and connected him with valuable resources teaching him networking skills. It was his foundation for leadership development. He began to step out of the shadows. felt safe to share his story. He finally felt free and relieved as CCD opened many doors for him.
Rey also co-founded the Dreamers United at CCD a student organization to support undocumented students along with few other students in similar conditions as him. The organization has seen a huge success in CCD.
“I want to give back. I want to learn the history of indigenous people so I can help them too,” Rey said. For him, it felt great to inspire other students, both immigrants, and American-born, and show them that they can go to college and achieve whatever they want.
After a while, United Leaders in Higher Education (ULHE) became the new name for “Dreamers United”. Rey explained that the term Dreamers United was no longer used because it did not represent the immigrant youth appropriately. “We changed this to leaders as that who we are. We are committed to redefining higher education here in our home state of Colorado,” he said.
ULHE is committed to educate, unite and empower students. It strives to support student leaders across campuses to create attainable pathways beyond higher education. The three focal points of this organization are: raising funds, networking, and terminology to empower immigrant youth and make college more accessible to them, as immigrant youth face some of the toughest paths in higher education.
Rey graduated from the University of Colorado Denver earlier this year with a degree in communications and ethnic studies. He is currently the vice-president of United Leaders in Higher Education (ULHE).
Although he holds a new diploma, his future is anything but certain. He is deeply worried that President Trump’s decision to end DACA will throw his life into chaos all over again and he may run the risk of being deported. He prays and hopes that Congress would vote “yes” on the Dream and Promise Act, which would give Dreamers a chance to stay in the country they love.
For Rey, the next goal is to earn a master’s degree in education and work as a school counselor helping underserved students. He positively believes the state of Colorado needs passionate educators like him and that there is a huge demand for teacher jobs that remain unfilled in the state.
Now with many awards under his belt including the CCD President Service Award which he received as a student leader, Rey is determined to help steer other undocumented students to progress.
Working in higher education and working with students is Rey’s passion and main focus. “I know the importance of giving students good role models and a dose of encouragement because that’s what I desperately needed when I was younger,” said Rey.
While Rey’s short term goal is to work in the education field, his long term goal is to be involved in politics and even run for mayor in Denver, one day. He knows that the changes he wants to see will only happen with hard work from state and community leaders, and he believes joining the group of people making all the decisions will bring him many steps closer to achieving all his goals.