SAN MARCOS — Palomar College held an Undocumented Student Week of Action on campus from October 17-21, fostering conversations about how to support undocumented students through a series of events held across campus during the week.
“Palomar College has helped thousands of people who came to this country seeking opportunity to improve their lives through higher education,” said Superintendent/President Dr. Star Rivera-Lacey. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to serve undocumented students.”
Undocumented Student Action Week (USAW) is a statewide effort led by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office (CCCO), the Community College League of California (League), and the Foundation for California Community Colleges (FoundationCCC).
Palomar held its events in conjunction with the statewide effort under the banner “Juntos Podemos: Together, We Can,” sponsoring a variety of gatherings and discussions aimed at raising awareness and support.
The week opened with a panel discussion in which members of the community shared their immigrant experiences, their struggles navigating the U.S. Immigration system, and how they overcame their obstacles. Events concluded with a Healing Circle on Friday, October 21.
- California Dream Act/FAFSA application workshops
- Informative sessions on higher education legal services and rights by Jewish Family Services
- Palomar College Undocumented Resource Center sneak peak
Simultaneous to Palomar’s scheduled events were a series of daily webinars hosted by the California Community College system to raise awareness of how college departments can collaborate to improve undocumented student outcomes.
The college also introduced a “Creating Space” weekly support group to provide Latinx students a supportive space to gather, learn and share common experiences. The group meets weekly and more information can be found at the Palomar College Health Promotion website.