As a first-generation college graduate from San Buenaventura, Jalisco, Mexico, an immigrant, and someone who was formerly undocumented, I know how much it means to have someone believe in your potential. I also know that getting into college is only part of the journey. What happens once you arrive, who you turn to for support, and whether you feel that you belong can make all the difference.

My own experiences have shaped how I approach this work as Senior Program Manager, Equity, at the Foundation for California Community Colleges (FoundationCCC). I understand what it feels like to navigate uncertainty while trying to build a future. Today, I have the privilege of working alongside colleagues and partners supporting undocumented and immigration-impacted students across 116 California community colleges. I often reflect on how we can create that same sense of belonging for every student.

This work feels especially important now. As immigration policies continue to change, students and their families are navigating difficult questions about their futures. For some, that uncertainty affects their well-being, financial stability, and ability to focus on their education.

Nearly half of California’s children, 44%, have at least one immigrant parent (Public Policy Institute of California, January 2026). Immigration policy doesn’t stay in the headlines. It shapes the daily lives of students, families, and entire communities.

But I never want the conversation about undocumented students to focus only on the challenges they face. These students are leaders, parents, workers, advocates, and future professionals who bring tremendous strengths and contributions to our communities.

Our responsibility is to recognize those strengths while ensuring students have the resources, opportunities, and support they deserve.

Connecting Students to Meaningful Support

Through Find Your Ally, students, faculty, and staff at California’s community colleges can access free immigration legal consultations with trusted legal service providers, either in person or online. Since 2019, more than 30,000 students have been supported through these services.

Behind that number are individuals seeking answers, understanding their options, and making important decisions about their futures.

Equally important are the UndocuLiaisons and campus practitioners who help students navigate resources and connect with services. Across California’s 116 community colleges, these individuals serve as trusted points of contact, helping students feel seen, heard, and supported.

Supporting undocumented students cannot rest on the shoulders of one person or one office. It requires a campuswide commitment that extends across classrooms, counseling, financial aid, student services, and institutional leadership.

When the campus shares that commitment, students are better positioned to pursue their hopes, dreams, and goals with confidence.

Strengthening Support Through Collaboration

I have seen how a simple conversation between colleagues can lead to a new partnership, a practical solution, or an approach that another campus can adapt.

Just as importantly, these conversations allow us to listen. Campus practitioners help us understand where challenges remain, what resources are needed, and how statewide efforts can better respond to the experiences of students.

For me, this is what meaningful collaboration looks like. It means bringing different perspectives together, recognizing the expertise within our colleges, and finding ways to turn shared commitments into action.

Celebrating Our Stories, Strength, and Future

This October, we will proudly come together with the California Community Colleges for the ninth annual Undocumented Student Success Week, an opportunity to celebrate students, strengthen partnerships, and reaffirm our collective commitment to educational opportunity.

Our 2026 Undocumented Student Success Summit, themed Our Stories. Our Strength. Our Future, also recognizes 25 years of Assembly Bill 540, a landmark policy that expanded access to higher education for eligible students.

This milestone reminds us that progress happens because students, educators, advocates, and community organizations continue working together to create opportunities for future generations.

It also reminds us that progress requires continued attention and investment.

Building a Future Where Every Student Belongs

As we celebrate these accomplishments, we must ask ourselves how we can make support for undocumented students a lasting part of our institutions, rather than something dependent on individual champions.

I believe our greatest opportunity is to move beyond individual efforts and build sustainable support systems that remain strong even as policies, resources, and leadership change.

That means investing in practitioners, strengthening partnerships, listening to students, and ensuring that undocumented student success is recognized as an essential part of our broader commitment to educational equity.

What gives me hope is the dedication I see across our community colleges. Every day, people are finding ways to show up for students and one another.

When I reflect on my own educational journey, I am reminded that sometimes one person, one conversation, or one opportunity can change someone’s path.

Imagine what becomes possible when we build entire institutions around that same commitment.

Belonging is not simply something we tell students they deserve. It is something we create through our actions, relationships, and willingness to keep showing up for one another.

In the video below, you can learn how Find Your Ally connects students, faculty, and staff at California’s community colleges with free immigration legal services: