Martha Zavala Perez. Courtesy photo.
CAMARILLO — CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) staff member Martha Zavala Perez has received national recognition for her leadership role in the creation of a formal Undocumented Student Ally Training Program.
Zavala Perez, who is the Coordinator of Underrepresented Student Initiatives, was awarded the “Exemplary Program Medallion” in the “Voices of Inclusion” category in the American College Personnel Association (ACPA)-College Student Educators International annual competition.
The ACPA-College Student Educators International was founded in 1924 and has almost 7,500 members representing 1,200 public and private institutions from across the U.S. and around the world. Members include graduate and undergraduate students enrolled in student affairs/higher education administration programs, faculty, and student affairs educators, from entry level to senior student affairs.
Zavala Perez’s supervisor, Director of Inclusive Student Services and the Multicultural Dream Center, Hiram Ramirez, praised Zavala Perez’s work, particularly in light of the fact that centers for undocumented students and trainings for faculty and staff (allies) who want to support them is a growing need on college campuses.
“There aren’t a lot of programs nationally that support undocumented students and there aren’t a lot that have been highlighted as a best model,” said Ramirez. “That’s what’s important about being recognized on a national platform in this political climate.”
The Undocumented Student Ally Training Program is an opportunity for faculty, staff, and student employees to learn about the practical and emotional aspects of students who were brought to the United States without documentation as children.
“With immigration policy, it’s very complicated,” Zavala Perez explained. “We’re not attorneys or politicians, but faculty and staff want to know about the practical implications of immigration policy in the classroom and on campus. They want to know about the immigrant experience particularly within the context of higher education, the CSU policies on immigration, and the national policies.”
When Zavala Perez accepted the opportunity, one of the goals was to develop a comprehensive Undocumented Student Ally Training designed to support the students, provide timely information and to promote greater awareness to the campus community.
“There wasn’t any office or department responsible for consistent trainings,” Zavala Perez said. “When the Multicultural Dream Center was created, it was decided that the Undocumented Student Ally Training program would be housed here to ensure the trainings continuation.”
Zavala Perez created an entire program for allies, with both in-person and online resources. The program is set up with three stages: bronze, silver and gold.
The bronze stage provides foundational information for working with undocumented students, such as basic terminology like “DACA,” which stands for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, and how to complete an AB540 affidavit, which is a state form that allows eligible undocumented students to pay in-state tuition.
Allies who reach the silver level have had instruction about the history of the Dreamers Movement and the mental health implications of being an undocumented student such as anxiety and depression.
“We learn about the issue of being an undocumented student on a holistic level,” Zavala Perez said. “Not just the paperwork, but our students persisting in college and other barriers they experience. We learn about the administrative, academic, emotional and social aspects of being an undocumented college student.”
Gold allies learn the process of filling out a California Dream Act application, supporting students in considering graduate school, and serving as mentors for undocumented students.
Although immigration is a hot button political issue, Zavala Perez and Ramirez stressed that the program is about student success and supporting our students in higher education.
“We’re an institution of higher learning,” Ramirez said. “We’re here to support all of our students, whatever their status, regardless of your view on immigration. Our undocumented students are a part of the CSU Channel Islands community and we are invested in their academic success.”
Zavala Perez said our undocumented students hope for compassion and understanding about their situation.
“Imagine trying to take midterms wondering if you’re going to be deported, or if someone in your family is going to be deported,” Zavala Perez said. “Even though this is something that is talked about at the national level as an economic and legal issue, it really is a personal issue. These are our students’ lives.”