PLU4US: For and With Undocumented Students
Welcome to Callista Brown's Personal Fundraising Page!
As a teacher of thirty-five years, I am committed to providing all students with an unobstructed pathway to graduation and a learning environment in which they can flourish.
Undocumented students are facing
unprecedented challenges as they seek to complete their education under the
threat of deportation. The goal of this
campaign is to ensure that undocumented students at Pacific Lutheran University
can fulfill the university’s mission: to use education in the service of
thoughtful inquiry, service, leadership and care for other people, their
communities, and the earth. By
supporting these students, we support our entire community, for it is by
completing their degrees that they can best share their gifts, skills,
knowledge, and wisdom with all of us and help us to build the just society we
seek.
Please join me in weaving a network of support for undocumented students at Pacific Lutheran University.
Tuition aid
Textbooks
Leadership development
Internships and research
Aid for legal fees
PLU has committed to protect, to the fullest extent of the law, undocumented students on our campus, and to promote retention of students with Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status. Pacific Lutheran University’s Undocumented Student Task Force was founded by current students, faculty, staff, administrators, and alumni committed to the creation of a robust network of support and resources for undocumented students on our campus. We believe that to work with and for undocumented students is to work for the wellbeing of our communities.
PLU has a long history of educating students from a diverse array of socioeconomic, geographical and ethnic backgrounds, often welcoming those on society's margins, especially immigrants and underprivileged populations.
We encourage you to join PLU in supporting one another and working together to do all that we can to ensure that our community is a place of deep care for each person, especially those who feel most vulnerable.
Thanks to a group of loyal Lutes and generous professors, your gift today will be matched dollar for dollar up to $5,000!
What the state does: Undocumented students who are Washington residents may also be eligible for financial aid funding through the state of Washington, including the Washington State Need Grant, the Washington State College Bound Scholarship, and the Washington State Work Study programs.
- Support students facing difficulty applying for financial aid and ensuring they can pay for tuition.
- Provide funds that allow students to find jobs on campus, which support their development of crucial skills for the job market
Student Success
Our work, however, is far from done!
Why we do it: Undocumented students face possible disruptions to their academic development that other students do not, such as the worry that their parents might be deported or that legal fees might undermine money they had saved for course materials. The effects of these added stressors might be reflected in their mental wellbeing. A student's ability to participate in extra-curricular leadership roles also contributes to student success and develops them as members of their communities with competitive qualities for the job market.
What we hope to do: A significant portion of the funds we raise will be destined to ensuring that students finish their undergraduate degree successfully and are ready to accomplish their goal
- Lending Library: by partnering with our colleagues at PLU's Mortvedt Library, we will make sure that students have access to textbooks through a robust Course Reserve system that ensures their access to all the materials they need in order to be able to participate and succeed in class.
- Leadership Development: by funding student participation in leadership development opportunities, we will ensure that they reach their fullest potential and gain crucial skills to have on impact on our community and communities beyond our campus.
Legal and Housing Resources
What we have done: Over the past three months, we have organized events that provide students and their families with:
Access to expert immigration lawyers
- Access to governmental and not-for-profit organizations that can advise them on their rights
Why we do it: Now more than ever, undocumented students need access to legal advise and to information that can ensure that they both know their rights and can overcome any adverse encounters with the law.
What we hope to do: While these resources are central to support students by giving them crucial knowledge, a significant portion of the money we raise will be destined to creating a fund specifically destined to pay for legal fees and to pay for housing on campus in case a relative is facing deportation or if their living situation is in any way compromised by the current trend in ICE raids.
Overall Budget Goal: $20,000
To be distributed throughout the next three years to support the following:
$5000 - Legal Fees Fund
$1250 - Emergency Housing Fund
$1000 - Tuition Gaps Fund
$950 - Summer Stipend and Internship Opportunities
$800 - Lending Library
$500 - Leadership Development
$500 - School Supplies Fund
Thank you for helping us protect freedoms for expression and the advancement of knowledge!
Two Reasons to Work With and For Undocumented Students
By Wendy Martínez, PLU '15
Despite being a PLU alumni who identifies as undocumented, I can’t imagine what it means to be undocumented and a student during these times of extreme uncertainty and hateful rhetoric amid our current political Administration. Growing up, many of us contend with stigma, exclusion, self-seclusion or secrecy that our families often feel compelled to impose for our safety. Under this Administration and ongoing attack on our immigrant communities, many undocumented students are wondering if they will be able to graduate, fearing loss of funding, status, and deportation. Still more struggle with current classes as they confront fears of deportation and possible separation from their families, in addition to the burden of not “making it” for their loved ones.
In spite of the consequences, current undocumented students are courageously stepping up in ways that put them in considerable risk. Alongside, each one of them I ask that we also be courageous. While it is impossible to fully understand the extent of unique challenges experienced by undocumented students in their pursuit of higher education, we can agree on the fact that college is hard enough on its own.
How can we ask these students to succeed when they are at odds with overwhelming challenges and barriers, ranging from lack of financial resources to worrying day and night about the possible risks to deportation their families experience daily?
We can’t, but we can walk alongside of each of the students who this system has deemed undocumented, in a type of solidarity that is not an empty promise of support but one that is actionable. You can make a difference:
None of us are voiceless and I expect everyone to use their voice and their privilege to take action today that will make a lifelong impact and difference in a student’s life.
Join me in supporting this campaign: PLU4US: For and With Undocumented Students. While I could list over 100+ reasons for why supporting this campaign is important, I will leave you with 2 to both reflect and take action on:
When we believe in education, we must believe in education for all students. This means recognizing that supporting students comes in different shapes and sizes. For undocumented students, having to worry just a bit less about their ability to cover their college costs allows them to be students and at this particular times also be able to stand up for their families without having to choose one responsibility over the other. Your financial contributions would take us a step closer to allowing these already thriving students get to the next level. Will you join me to make this possible?
We seek humanity and justice in supporting this campaign - PLU4US: For and With Undocumented Students. Our immigration system is not only broken, but outrageously inhumane. While today it is a financial contribution for the students on campus, I ask that you go deeper, that you think about how you truly will be showing up for and with undocumented students AND their families. What will you be doing if any of these students are detained? What will you do when and if their family members are deported? How will you contribute to closing down the Detention Center in Tacoma’s backyard and demand an end to the detention and deportation machine? How will you demand that our political leaders be courageous and reject the claims that immigrants are a threat to national security and public safety and insist that enforcement efforts stop scapegoating our communities. I end with this last question, in your form of solidarity, will you put your body on the line for these students?
We are thankful to announce that we have exceeded 80% of our original goal because of the overwhelming generosity of 145 supporters! We are thrilled to see how much care and support there is in our community for undocumented students. As we celebrate how far we've come in just one week, we look forward to how much work there is left to do.
Thanks to the support of a group of anonymous Lutes and generous faculty who have pledged an additional $5,000 to match all gifts towards our campaign starting NOW! This also means we have a new goal of $27,000!
With this new goal, we aim to secure funds for legal fees and to fill tuition gaps. Both are instrumental for the academic success of our students. Both ensure that students do not have to abandon their studies due to extrinsic pressures and ensure their wellbeing by allowing them to foresee a more certain future.
This is a particularly great day to help us make this happen. Today is GiveBIG day! This is a one-day celebration hosted by the Seattle Foundation designed to bring together local organizations striving to make a difference. Celebrate GiveBIG with us by supporting this campaign to ensure all students have access to a world-class education, regardless of their citizenship status! Every dollar counts! Support our campaign by donating and/or helping us spread the word!
This was a BIG week+ We owe a HUGE THANKS to so many people!
This Thursday PLU co-hosted a Know Your Rights events for 30+ of our PLU Undocumented Students, their families, and our greater community. At the event families connected with OneAmerica to learn about their rights, particularly when if they encounter ICE through an interactive presentation. They also heard from two Immigration Lawyers, Mary Beth (PLU ) and Katerine, who walked families through the importance of the Safety Plan for Youth and Children, how to fill it out, and an opportunity to connect with Notaries Rebecca (PLU Residence Life Staff), Patty (PLU Student Services Staff), and Jessie. We also had a visit from the Mexican Consulate who shared specific resources and documents to prepare incase of deportation to Mexico.
This event could not have been possible without the help of our 30+ volunteers of faculty, staff, and students from PLU and teachers, counselors, and administrator of Franklin-Pierce School District. It was OVERWHELMING to see the number and diversity of volunteers who showed up to support our undocumented families in receiving important resources. With so many volunteers, I was able to invite them to be co-learners of the information as it is SO important for us as educators to also know the resources for our community members. MUCH thanks to those who translated the presentations (that we were able to host all in Spanish) to the English speakers.
ALSO, in less than a week we have met 75% of our campaign
goal! Thank you to all who have given
both large and small gifts. The first
$5,000 donated was matched dollar for dollar by loyal lutes. In talking with students from the PLU Gold
Group (undocumented student group), they shared the overwhelming support that
they feel from our community.
Thank you for continuing to support our campaign and our students! We are SO excited to continue to push towards our goal !
Hello, everyone! We are so excited to report that we're only 24hrs into our campaign and we have already met our $5000 match! Nicole and I have had the opportunity to connect with many of our team members and task force today and we all agree the response is overwhelming--in the best way possible! This gives us hope and energy to keep pushing as we move toward the remaining weeks of our campaign. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS! We'll be sending you more updates!
Nicole Juliano
Joanna Royce-Davis
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45 supporters have chosen not to be listed for "PLU4US: For and With Undocumented Students ".
Make an Impact
School Supplies
Give $5
A gift of this amount insures that students are ready and prepared to attend class with basic supplies and tools for learning.
Leadership Development
Give $25
A gift of this amount can fund a student to attend a campus sponsored professional development event offered by Student Life so that they can be part of our campus' active extra-curricular life.
Lending Library
Give $50
A gift of this amount can pay for textbooks to be added to a lending library and increase access to course materials that students might otherwise not have or not have full access to, such as expensive textbooks.
Summer Stipend
Give $125
A gift of this amount can provide students with the opportunity to participate in summer research, attend a summer course, or participate in an internship scholarship to gain work and leadership experience
Emergency Housing
Give $250
A gift of this amount can assist a student off campus with a couple days of stable housing in an emergency
Tuition Gap
Give $1,000
A gift of this amount allows for a student to continue their studies with less financial stress
Legal Fees
Give $2,000
A gift of this amount can pay for lawyer advising and fees for regularization of documents
