DENVER — In August 2002, Jocelyne Argüelles, her older sister and her mom arrived in Denver from Jalisco, Mexico.
Jocelyne was not even two years old.
In August 2019, Jocelyne -- a senior at the Denver Center for International Studies -- will be heading to Connecticut to attend Yale University. The Denver Center for International Studies is in the Baker neighborhood.
Jocelyne was awarded a scholarship that covers almost all her tuition for four years.
Jocelyne said she owed a big part of her success to her family. She wrote them an open letter to say thank you (shown in the video above).
Jocelyne's Story
Jocelyne grew up undocumented, but didn't really understand what that meant until she was in grade school.
"My clearest memory is sitting on the laundry machine in our kitchen and telling my mom that I couldn’t do anything with my life. My mom began to cry," she wrote in her college essay to Yale University. "At the tender age of 10, I was exposed to the harsh reality that I had slim opportunities."
Jocelyne didn't let her status stop her. She became what she calls a "hyper-DREAMer." A DREAMer is an individual that's part of a movement to tackle issues related to immigration, education and citizenship.
"We've learned that we have to be perfect," she explained. "As kids of immigrants, we know that you do perfect or you don't get anything."
She said she became a "hyper-DREAMer" after realizing the incredible sacrifice her family took to get her here.
Jocelyne's grandfather rode "La Bestia," the train that runs through Mexico commonly taken by Central Americans to get to the United States. It's a very dangerous and risky path, but one many immigrants take.
Jocelyne is one of 170 students in Denver Public Schools who was accepted into Ivy League or other highly-selective schools like Harvard, Princeton, Stanford and Yale.
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