Thread: Immigration status thwarts Cy Ridge student's college hopes

Immigration status thwarts Cy Ridge student's college hopes

Friday, April 18, 2008

HOUSTON -- Going to Berklee College of Music doesn't guarantee you'll be a superstar, but the list of famous musicians who have graduated from the school in Boston is quite impressive.

And it's a reason a bright student from Cy Ridge High School wants to go there.

But Cy Ridge student journalist Stephanie Madrid says her classmate's hope of attending Berklee are slim to none.

Even though he's tried out, accepted and in the top 10 percent of his class, he can’t attend.

The problem? This senior, who will graduate in just a few weeks, is living in this country illegally.

He came here with his parents from Mexico when he was just 6-months-old.

The immigration debate is hotter than ever. And across the nation, many believe those that came here illegally should not be given the same opportunities as citizens of the U.S., including pursuing higher education.

David Milton is Vice President of Admission at Houston's University of St Thomas.

“Whether they are undocumented students or citizens, I believe in education and the opportunities it provides,â€

[quote]The student, who doesn't want to be identified, says his parents have been trying since he was a child to gain citizenship.

“Yeah eight-to-10 years that my parents have tried to obtain a pardon from this country.â€

Not only is his status a key factor but who in the heck is going to pay his tution? The citizens of Boston?

I have a very good friend that graduated from Berklee School Of Music and it was not cheap even years ago...

No matter how adamant i am about illegal immigration, the particular case of kids who were smuggled in our country at a very young age and know no other culture, country etc than ours is a tough one to address.

The immigration debate is hotter than ever. And across the nation, many believe those that came here illegally should not be given the same opportunities as citizens of the U.S., including pursuing higher education

That is exactly correct! Mexico has some very fine colleges and universities. A citizen of mexico who has studied in the United States and who apparently has good grades should have no problems being admitted. It will also cost them nothing to go to college in Mexico.

You can apply for US Citizenship the CORRECT way once you graduate from college, after the 10 year ban you will face because your initial entry into the US was illegal and you remained in the US for over one year.

You can thank your parents for that!

If someone really wants to reach their goals they have to make scrafices!

To him this means to go back to his home country and start the process correctly. His parents made a poor choice by defying the law. Its sad for him but the law is the law. I just don't understand why some people think that they can pick and choose the laws that thay want to follow and its ok.

This boy has access to any Texas State college at in state tuition prices, but that is not good enough. Not to mention he has already received a free 12 year education at taxpayer expense.
Illegal immigrants are not entitled to attend the college of their choice, not to mention that his college education will not entitle him to work legally in the U.S.
How much more must we give these people???? Is it any wonder they are overwhelming America with the demands for better benefits than they already have? Give an inch- they take the country.

No matter how the illegal immigrant situation unfolds here in America, whatever is decided will happen too late for this musician.

I suspect, that in the long run, it won't matter much whether this person does a music degree or not. The musicians I know are having an increasingly harder time finding steady good-paying gigs. Plus, according to the same source, the newer crop of recent graduates in the field are not the same as those that came from top tier music schools say, 15, 20 or 25 years ago.
The standards have slipped, and the IA in question would probably be better served by some other plan anyway.. (IMHO).

For you people in TX - doesn't NTSU (North Texas State) still have a kick-butt music program? They used to be pretty good.

Oh, I forgot. There is a provision in immigration law that will allow illegal immigrant children to return to their home country when they turn 18. If they voluntarily leave, there is no bar to re-entry and he can then apply to immigrate legally. If he reaches legal age and does not leave voluntarily, he can be deported and barred from re-entry for up to 10 years.
The choices illegal immigrants make to come here sometimes puts them in difficult situations. Not often, but sometimes.

By the way, Are his parents using false documents to work?