At first glance, 22-year-old Keyla Santizo seems wise beyond her years —carrying herself as a strong, intelligent young woman with a bright future.
But Santizo can't drive to school and or apply for any academic scholarships.
It's not that she can't afford a car or doesn't have the grades to apply for a scholarship.
Santizo is an undocumented immigrant living in Cherryland.
She has lived in the Bay Area since she was 3, after emigrating from Guatemala on her mother's back with her older sister by their side.
"I've been in the shadows for so long, it's time to step up into the light," Santizo said during an immigration forum at Eden United Church of Christ. "The United States is my home — it's all I know."
She discovered her illegal status for the first time in the seventh grade, after getting invited to go on a field trip to a Civil Rights museum.
After excitedly sharing the news with her mother, she was told why she couldn't submit the permission slips and go on this trip.
But Santizo also recalls her mother telling her, "Don't let that stop you. You're going to go to college. You're going to make something of yourself."
And so she chased after this dream.
Santizo went on to graduate early from high school. She was accepted to several four-year universities. However, she hit another hurdle.
She couldn't apply for any financial aid and had to turn down several scholarships because of her status.
Despite her mother and the U.S. constantly pushing for her to receive higher education, it was nearly impossible for her to do so because of the current immigration laws.
"I'm sort of stuck in some kind of limbo," Santizo said.
However, thanks to passage of the first portion of the California DREAM Act, she was able pay in-state tuition for Chabot College.
It was there where she discovered Chabot's Active Dreamers, a group of 20 students and supporters who banned together in 2010 and got immigration-related resolutions passed by the cities of Hayward and Union City.
Next on their agenda: Urging Gov. Jerry Brown to sign follow-up legislation, AB 131, which is currently sitting on his desk.
The law would allow students like Santizo to receive further access to a broader range of the state's public universities. It would also grant them eligibility to apply for and receive Cal Grants.
Above all, it would place her one step closer to achieving her ultimate dream— building a non-profit art school in Guatemala.
"My mom gave me a fighting chance to succeed and if I could give that to at least one person, then I'll do it," she said. "Over there, art is considered a luxury."
However, Santizo said AB 131 does not compare to the national bill that would have granted citizenship to thousands of undocumented students who entered the U.S. illegally as children. After being passed in the House, the bill died, five votes shy in the Senate this past December.
"I can't help but say [AB 131] is a Band-Aid for us after all of this," she said. "But it's a step."
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