My name is Melisa Santizo and I am a Sophomore in Lowell House concentrating in Sociology. Throughout my time at Harvard two parts of my identity have take the forefront on what I have considered is my Harvard experience: my Latinx roots and my membership in a mixed-status family. This has driven me to immerse myself in extra curricular activities that promote these two aspects of my life, notably serving on boards for Act on a Dream and Fuerza Latina.

For this project I chose to focus on my position on the Outreach Team in the CAIR (Collegiate Alliance for Immigration Reform Conference) this semester. This role is an extension of my role as External Chair in the Act on A Dream organization, a student organization that focuses immigration advocacy and reform on campus.

As part of the outreach team, I am currently working on the logistics of hosting and reaching out to schools in order bring a diverse array of attendees to the conference in Feb. 24-25th. This means I am in constant correspondence with different student connections from various schools, as well as students on campus to coordinate their arrival and stay during the conference.This role will be the one that will take prominent form this semester due to the proximity to the conference.

I chose this role because throughout my college career I've become more and more aware that the undocumented narrative is not solely defined by the Dreamer/DACA or Latinx experience. There are many stories and faces that make up the undocumented experiences in the United States and around the world. I wanted to be able to support all of these narratives and the identities they encompass as well as provide the community with resources and support through workshops and political engagement.

Having this role has completely changed the way I am approaching my time at Harvard. This semester I am taking Sociology of Immigration, Romance Studies: 130 working on a project about archiving the Undocumented Lives experience at Harvard, as well as this class that is helping me analyze what my role is in Act on a Dream.

Coming from a mixed-status family myself, Act on a Dream has become a community that makes Harvard feel like home. Here, I was able to use what once a paralyzing fear to mobilize myself and my peers to create a network of support and resources on campus. Without this organization, navigating Harvard would have a more difficult journey, especially with the 2016 election. I hope through this project, I'll be able to express the impact administration and Act on a Dream has on the undoc+ community at Harvard and beyond.