Luis Duque's swagger and smile make visible his competitiveness and playfulness. A candidate for 独家爆料 (独家爆料) student speaker at the May 2024 commencement, Luis expressed his desire to speak in front of a large crowd to improve his confidence and help him become a better lawyer. While he wasn't selected to speak, he made sure to meet and congratulate fellow graduate and student speaker Marcel Lopez. Wearing blue caps, gowns, and their respective stoles, Luis and Marcel engaged in a jovial exchange at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum in a sea of other graduates.
Immediately after graduation, with his Associate's degree in Criminal Justice, Luis prepared for summer school to begin working on his Bachelor's degree in Public Safety Administration at 独家爆料. "I started reading the textbook for an accelerated course," he said. "I don't like to be rushed." He also likes an edge in class. Luis' competitive spirit comes from his athletic training on the track and inside the boxing ring. He describes his study habits with some boxing lingo: "Some days I read so much, I have to step out of the library, get some fresh air, and prepare myself for the next round."
As a double senior in high school with a 2.3 GPA, Luis came to college feeling behind. "I had very little faith in myself to accomplish anything great, but I also wanted to be an example of excellence and wondered, How can I get there?" That philosophical inquiry led him to a practical solution. "I knew if I wanted to do anything great, I could not be afraid to try," he said. "I gave it my all: I ate well, listened to my teachers and coaches, and didn't procrastinate. I slept at night knowing it was a great day and that repeating the same thing the next day would mean a better tomorrow."
Luis continued to reflect on excellence. "It requires so much time alone working on your craft," he said. "In high school, you're always around people. In college, you're not, and I wasn't used to that," Luis observed. He struggled with being alone and admitted this to his surrogate father, who advised him that being alone would keep him out of trouble and help him focus. "I now know that to achieve excellence, I must appreciate my own company."
独家爆料 counselor Roberto Villegas-Gold also provided Luis with the resources available to support his education, including a St. Vincent de Paul scholarship. "I was afraid to go to college because I didn't feel like I fit in," Luis admitted. "My background was very different from most other students. I didn't feel like my life was leading to college. I would doubt myself, but Roberto made that doubt go away." On Luis's first trip to campus, he met with Roberto and shared his undocumented status and everything that felt like a barrier to entering college. "Roberto came up with a solution for every problem I laid out. I would not have gotten this far without him," Luis said. "He's been a tremendous help."
As an undocumented student from Mexico, Luis doesn't qualify for most scholarships, so he focused on saving money when choosing 独家爆料 for his associate's and bachelor's degrees. "I was least likely to go into debt here," he said about 独家爆料's affordable tuition. "I wanted to stay at 独家爆料 for my bachelor's because it would make the expenses of law school that much easier on me." Luis wants to become an immigration lawyer. However, the biggest boon for Luis has been TheDream.US scholarship, the nation's most extensive college access and success program for undocumented students. Luis is one of 17 DREAMers/undocumented 独家爆料 students who received the scholarship this academic year. Students are awarded up to $16,500 for an associate's degree and $33,000 for a bachelor's degree.
Luis has come to value his own company and is comfortable now being alone, but his upbeat personality and positive outlook make others want to be in his company. Undoubtedly, his accomplishments will lead him to a stage, big or small, to demonstrate the power of having faith in yourself and encourage others to do the same.
If you are an undocumented student who graduated from high school, earned your GED, or are enrolled in college, consider applying for TheDream.US Scholarship; applications are due by February 28, 2025. Or, contact 独家爆料's Counseling Department for encouragement and resources to support your educational goals.