Despite facing multiple challenges in obtaining a college degree,
some immigrant students successfully navigate the US educational system. Learning about their experiences in our schools can
help us identify and implement specific practices and policies that
make schooling more rewarding for a large student population.
The journey of a Guatemalan immigrant from elementary school
to a 4-year university is described in this article. The obstacles she
faced throughout are presented and ways in which hurdles were
overcome are explained. Educators from kindergarten teachers to
university professors are encouraged to learn about the context in
which students emigrate to the US and the multitude of out-ofschool factors that influence their educational achievement.