UC Blue Ash alum shares her story as a dreamer

University of Cincinnati Blue Ash College alumna Karen Rosen-Guevara is proud to be a Dreamer. That is why she was so excited to learn that The Cincinnati Enquirer chose to publish an op-ed she submitted about being part of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).

“I was speechless, amazed,” Rosen-Guevara said. “I never thought that my story would be read by hundreds of other people in my own community. It was such a great opportunity and I enjoyed every second of it.”

The op-ed was based on an English paper Rosen-Guevara wrote while at UC Blue Ash titled ‘This I Believe.’ She received a lot of positive feedback on the piece and was encouraged to submit it to The Activist, the UC Blue Ash student news site. She also shared it with Define American, an organization that uses media and storytelling to shift the narrative around immigrants in the U.S.

The op-ed appeared on June 26, shortly after the recent Supreme Court ruling that upheld DACA. Rosen-Guevara tells her story of moving with her parents to the U.S. from El Salvador at a very young age. Her parents’ goal in making the move was to provide her with a better future. Although she initially struggled in school while learning English, they encouraged her to work hard and pursue a college education.

“They wanted me to succeed in school and have the career of my choice once I graduated from college,” Rosen-Guevara shared in the op-ed. “They never placed a limit on my dreams, and they always inspired me to try my best.”

Rosen-Guevara graduated from UC Blue Ash, and is currently a student in UC’s College of Arts & Sciences, where she is majoring in Spanish and political science.

She says her future in America is still a little uncertain, even after the Supreme Court ruling, but she remains focused on her goals and on making her parents proud.

“I believe that one day I’ll complete my journey and that everything my parents did for me will be worth it,” Rosen-Guevara states in the op-ed. “I aspire to keep my head high, my heart pure and my roots proud. I am DACA, and I am a Dreamer.”