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Scholarships and Citizenship
"I’m not even eligible for many scholarships, because I’m not a U.S. citizen yet."
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By Gaby Arvizu
Youth Radio’s Gaby Arvizu has a B average in high school, but she can’t even APPLY for many scholarships—and the reason has nothing to do with her grades.
As if applying for college scholarships weren’t already stressful enough, I’m facing another challenge on top of that. I’m not even eligible for many scholarships, because I’m not a U.S. citizen yet. It will probably take another five years because I just got my Greencard.
Recently, I heard about a five thousand dollar skateboarding scholarship. I’ve been skateboarding since last summer, and a couple of friends and I even started a weekly skateboarding newsletter. Let’s face it, there aren’t too many girls who skate. So as a young female skater, I thought I had a good chance of getting that scholarship. I met every requirement on the list, except for the last one: “applicant MUST be a U.S. citizen”. It didn’t seem fair
I’ve been living in California since I was two years old. Even though I was born in Mexico, I grew up in Oakland, and I can’t remember any other place. My parents can’t afford to send me to college, so I’m completely dependent on financial aid and scholarships to pay for my expenses.
All throughout high school, I organized community art exhibits, volunteered at a local elementary school, even started my own club at school for Latino students. I’ve been here for so many years, I don’t feel like I belong anywhere else. I may not officially be a citizen yet, but I feel like I’ve given so much back to the community I live in.
Knowing that all those activities don’t “count” makes me feel like an outsider. Although my chances to pay for college are limited, I’m still looking for other scholarships that don’t require applicants to be U.S. citizens. They’re my best chance to get the support I need. Don’t get me wrong…I’m still determined to go to college. And I’ll keep riding my skateboard, no matter what.
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