So much for living in the shadows. Shows how much they fear our immigration laws. Who paid for her undergrad degree?
Seeking donations:Santa Ana resident Gloria Montiel, 23, achieved part of her childhood dream by graduating with a bachelor's degree from Harvard University in 2009.

Montiel – an undocumented immigrant from Guerrero, Mexico – now seeks to fulfill the second part: obtaining a graduate degree from the university so that she can one day teach Santa Ana school children.


Gloria Montiel, of Santa Ana, is an illegal immigrant who got her undergrad degree from Harvard. She is seeking help to pay the money it will take to get her master's degree there. "If someday kids can see themselves in me, then everything I've worked for is repaid at that moment," she said.

Montiel says she's been accepted to Harvard's Graduate School of Education and will need $50,000 to pay for her studies. Because she lacks a Social Security number, she can't qualify for most types of financial aid. She says she's secured an $11,000 grant from the school, and is trying to collect the remaining $39,000.

To raise the money, the Santa Ana High School graduate is making and selling tamales, selling items with the Harvard logo and soliciting donations from Santa Ana residents and Harvard alumni.

"I will knock on the doors of 39,000 houses and ask them for $1 each if I have to," she said. "If someday kids can see themselves in me, then everything I've worked for is repaid at that moment."

The Santa Ana Education Project is collecting funds in Montiel's name. To donate, call 714-639-9505 or visit saep4kids.org



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