My name is Gabriella Gomez. I am a junior at the University of Maryland and this past summer I interned as a Frank Ralfello at the Latino Economic Development Center, commonly called LEDC. LEDC is a community based on profit based in Washington DC that aims to promote the social and economic advancement of low to moderate income Latinos and other underserved communities in the Washington DC and Maryland region. But my story starts back in my sophomore year of high school. At the time there was a lot of momentum building up for the passage of the DREAM Act and a number of my friends were taking part in campaigns to raise awareness and support for this bill. It was during that time that I was approached by a very close friend of mine who asked if I would be interested and open to sharing my story as an undocumented person in the U.S. student. Without much hesitation I said no. I reasoned one, I was not prepared to come out and share my status as an undocumented student with everyone. It was a label that I did not want to embrace. Two, I feared the response and the treatment that I would receive from those around me. And finally I doubted the power of my story. Partly because I didn’t think that my story was any different from those shared by others in my situation. And partly because I didn’t think that my story was compelling enough to propel someone to take a different stance on the issue or view the issue any differently. As I recounted this incident to my mom, she was very disappointed to learn of the decision that I had made to not share my story. Moving to the U.S. from our native Peru back in 2001 had been an incredibly difficult decision for everyone in my family. We were not only leaving our family behind but our sense of belonging as well. My mom reminded me that every new experience would bring a share of peaks and valleys but that it was our job to push forward no matter the obstacle. Encouraging us not to lose sight of our goals and our aspirations. And we did until one obstacle proved too great. Having our citizenship petition be stalled indefinitely in 2009. And with it my college and future career plans as well. With this in mind my mom argued, who is I to judge the power of my story? How could I possibly know what effect my story would have had? Flash forward to my fellowship. Sorry. And to my surprise I discovered that the bulk of the work I was assigned consisted of writing and compiling success stories of L.A.D.C.’s Latino families. The purpose of these success stories was to highlight some of the triumphs these families had secured either in becoming first time home buyers or launching a small business. It was in listening to these incredibly moving stories that I was finally able to experience the power of one-some story and value that journey from adversity to triumph. One of the clients that I interviewed went from sharing a two bedroom basement with another family to owning her very first home. From eating pre-cooked frozen meals on the floor with her children to preparing home-cooked meals in her very own kitchen. Another client overcame his extreme financial hardship and was able to jump start his own construction business. These stories not only strengthened L.A.D.C.’s commitment to their mission but it empowered other members of the community to strive for a better future as well. It was through these kinds of stories and testimonies that issues like affordable housing were able to gain traction and immediacy. These stories put a face to an issue whose effect was felt community wide but went largely unaddressed. They helped frame complicated local policy issues by leveraging social media to spread awareness and spur action. These were the makings of public interest communications guiding the public to care about an issue they might have otherwise ignored. Today I embrace my story and I embrace my status. Earlier this year I received a temporary reprieve paving the way for me to seize new academic and career opportunities that once fell out of reach. This reprieve made it possible for me to spend this past summer fully immersed in the world of non-profit work, better understanding the ropes of public interest communications and re-exploring my own career ambitions. So my status remains a bit up in the air. It is no longer a burden to carry. I will continue to push forward in my fight for immigration reform and in my fight to fulfill my goals of one day serving the field of public interest law. Let your story be a change agent. I want to take the opportunity to thank the Latino Economic Development Center for hosting me this past summer, to the non-profit roundtable of Greater Washington for coordinating this incredible fellowship, and to Mr. Frank Corell without whose vision and indelible work I would not be here sharing my story. Thank you. Thank you.