Hey guys, my name is Santiago and I'm from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. I was born in Uruguay and we emigrated to Massachussett's when I was five years old, we moved to Florida a few years later and have been here since.
It's odd that I find myself joining this forum, I normally keep my feelings in check but man...the reality of my situation dawned on me hard and I've been a whiny teary eyed mess all day.
I've had DACA for 4 years now (or 3 1/2) and I'm very thankful for being able to work and drive, I digress.
I've been trying to keep a positive mindset, but it's hard. I've tried signing up for college twice now, Florida doesn't let me pay in state tuition prices...so paying out of pocket with no financial aid - well, the price is astranomical. Even if I moved back home with my parents I still wouldn't be able to afford it, both visits to my local community college (a year apart from each other) ended in utter dissapointmen. I was discouraged for a while, and for the most part of this last year I kind of...floated around. Working an OKAY paying, but definatley not a "real" job, hanging out with my roommate, got a dog...but not really progressing in life.
Although I'm facing unjust hardships due to assbackwards legislature, I'm still a patriot and I consider the United States my home. A few months ago I began developing an interest in the military, admittedly, I'd never taken the time to really look into.
A world of opportunities seemed to open up to me - first of all, up until this moment I had absolutley no idea what I wanted to do with my life. But the moment I began learning more aboutt he military, I knew I'd finally figured it out - everything clicked.
I'm very athletic, and although I've never had any training - survivalism and the endurance of the human body have always been great interests of mine - so the prospect of 9 weeks of hellish basic training made me feel excitement and joy I hadn't felt for anything in a while.
For weeks I continued reading up on the military, I wanted to make an informed decision. I kept on trying to talk myself out of it, think of reasons NOT to go and...it just didn't happen. This was it. I found it.
Today, I finally mustered up the balls and was going to go to the enlistment office. I went to bed like a small child the night before Disney World, I couldn't WAIT to wake up and go to the enlist. I went to bed that night with a SENSE of pride, because I was stepping up, I was being a man, and I was enlisting in the US Army.
I woke up early the next morning, all my documents in a folder, and I beamed with excitement as I drove to the enlistment office.
Thirty minutes later...I was crushed. I wasn't eligibile. I've always assumed that with DACA we were allowed to join the military, I just thought it made SENSE - why not let us serve the country? Just been a mess all day ever since, I keep on crying which makes me feel really emasculated...it just sucks and it's so unfair.
And then...it got even more unfair. Reeling from being told that I wasn't going to be able to enlist in the military, I tried looking on the positive side of things. Driving around I kept on seeing posters from the Police Department that they were hiring officers.
There I went again, getting excited - surviving police academy wouldn't be as great as the army...and being a cop wouldn't be the same as being a Private - but for now it'd have to do. It was at least a chance to advance myself in life.
Of course, I got home - did my research. You have to be a US Citizen.
Sorry for the rant, it's just been a really hard day. I'm so disheartened, I don't know what to do at this point - I feel literally sick. It's just so fucked, all of it.
I had to tell someone about this and I have too much pride to cry to my parents. Best regards, and I hope to meet and connect with others on the same boat.
Misery loves company?
