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Hi everyone. It's very encouraging to go through these forums, and see so many peers that have fought against the odds as undocumented youths like myself. I stumbled onto this site after searching to see if anyone else's DACA application has been taking too long to get approved. I'm glad that I'm not alone in this, though it's a little disheartening to learn that some people have been waiting far longer than me and still haven't heard anything. Anyway, my name is Armando; I'm 24 years old. An uncle carried me across the Mex/U.S. border and into Phoenix, AZ when I was 4 years old. I'd always been aware of my status as an undocumented immigrant, but it hit me hardest when I was in high school. Between the student exchange programs, summer trips to Germany, and university offers that I could never take advantage of, I was crushed. It felt like I was up against the entire world. At the least, I was determined to get attend college like any native student might do. After getting fake work credentials, I worked throughout my high school years, saving as much as I could. Even so, I had to spend 2 years at a community college before I attended the University of Illinois at Chicago for my last 3 years of study. I relied on a few private scholarships, and practically obliterated my life savings, but I obtained my B.S. in computer science in May 2012. It's kind of ironic, I was the valedictorian for my graduating class, and I gave a speech about engineers' responsibility to better society. Yet, I'm the only one who's life has remained stagnant since graduating. All of my friends have careers and fuller lives. Luckily, my siblings were all born in the U.S. (I'm the oldest), so they don't have to face these difficulties. Still, I can't help but feel a little jealous to see them get their driver's licenses, receive FAFSA support and go off to study in New York. I'm glad to have found a place to vent, and share these things. And I'm overjoyed at the opportunity presented by DACA, though I wish things would move along. My one regret as a DREAMer, is that I was silent while so many others, much braver than me, raised their voices through non-violent protest. DACA is still a far cry from allowing us to fully realize ourselves as Americans, but it's a hard won step along the way, possible thanks to the courage of youths like the ones on these forums.