Martin Ward

As long as I remember suffering from the fear of being undocumented, I always looked over my shoulder and knew it would be very difficult to realize my dreams. Thanks to TheDream.US, I went to college for the first time in my family. I am very proud to be able to create this heritage with my family. My advice to all other DREAMERs is simple: don’t give up. No matter how many obstacles you have in front of you. There were many reasons to give up, but I want to make the most of my life and stay there for my family. The Dream.US grants can help.

My mother has a junior high school education from Honduras, so she directly understands the importance of her education. Here she cleans the house to feed our family. I’m proud of this life she gave us. When I was three, she decided that her mother wanted a better life for me and her sister, so I took a long trip from Honduras to the United States with her grandfather. I don’t remember the trip anymore, but I remember my grandfather taking turns with me and my sister on my shoulders so that we could rest. As soon as we reached the border, our grandfather was deported. We were in grief. Without him, we wouldn’t have achieved it. It was a difficult and terrifying trip. When we were under the control of ICE, I had a terrible fever, and it was only foil that we needed to cover ourselves.

At first I felt really out of place in America. I was called an exile because I couldn’t read or write English. But when I found the sport, it changed: soccer, soccer, cross-country skiing. These teammates became best friends and were elected to the Student Organization Inside School in high school.

My family was always there for me, so the house is where my family is. The University of San Antonio is far from my family, which is really difficult for me. However, I have also worked hard for my dreams. San Antonio knows that it’s a great place to become a physiotherapist and take care of your family and community.