By Jaasiel Chavez-Gutierrez
Trinity Times Correspondent
Alison Ochoa left Honduras in September 2021 and arrived in the United States through the land border that November. The opportunities the university offers women attracted Ochoa to Trinity Washington University, which has a long history of empowering women.
“The reason that I migrated to the U.S. was because it was not attainable to receive an education at aprofessional level,” said Ochoa, a Trinity freshman majoring in biology, adding that her goals are nowbecoming a reality.
With a clear focus and strong interest in fulfilling her goals, Ochoa saw Trinity as the ideal place to pursue her studies.
“I would risk my life to get to the U.S.,” Ochoa said, emphasizing that if she hadn’t had a strong vision for her future, she wouldn’t have worried about where she was. “I just came to create the person I dreamed of as a child.”
Trinity Washington University is an institution of higher education attended mostly by women, each with a unique story.
For some Trinity students and staff, immigrating to the United States offered greater opportunities than those available in their home countries.
“The reasons for immigration to the U.S. include violence, war, government corruption, lack of jobs, crime, poverty, lack of education, climate change, and other factors.” said Erin Carriere-Kretschmer, a political science professor at Trinity who is also a 1992 graduate of the university.
Carriere-Kretschmer emphasized access to quality education as a key motivation behind many immigrants’resettlement in the United States.
The United States is home to approximately 5.8 million immigrant-origin students enrolled in colleges and universities, representing 32% of the total student population, according to a report from the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration. This group includes first-generation immigrants and the U.S.-born children of immigrants. Additionally, about 408,000 undocumented students are pursuing higher education in the U.S., highlighting the significant role education plays in migration decisions.
Undocumented students face barriers to financial aid, as they are ineligible for federal assistance. However, many states offer in-state tuition rates and state-funded aid, and private scholarships also help fill funding gaps, according to the Higher Ed Immigration Portal and Informed Immigrant. Some states, like California and Texas, have created specific applications, such as the California Dream Act Application and Texas Application for State Financial Aid, to help undocumented students access aid.
Trinity Washington University also provides institutional grants to undocumented students and partners with organizations like TheDream.US to offer scholarships that can cover tuition and fees, according to the university’s website. This commitment underscores Trinity’s mission to support underserved communities and promote inclusion.
“Trinity’s mission is to educate women, particularly in underserved communities,” Ochoa said. “Its reach has expanded to encompass students of all backgrounds, with a special focus on inclusion, communityengagement, leadership cultivation, social justice, and academic excellence.”
Rosa Reyes, a student counselor and success advisor for Dreamers at Trinity, graduated from the institution with a bachelor’s degree and now helps her fellow immigrants attending the university.
“I enjoy supporting and advocating for students,” Reyes said. Trinity’s commitment to underserved communities “has been a factor for undocumented students who are interested in helping in the U.S. One of the factors is that international students played a key role in the decision-making of several students who migrated to the U.S. for education and to help others.”
Trinity sophomore forensic science major Stephanie Palacios epitomizes Reyes’s statement.
“I came to the U.S. because I wanted a good education, a better life, and to become a professional,” Palacios said.
However, Palacios and Reyes believe that Trinity represents more than just an academic institution.
“Trinity provides exceptional support due to its smaller size,” Reyes said, “which enables the institution to assist students effectively, combined with the dedication of its staff.”
Furthermore, “Trinity is a community that values each student’s unique path, and the ability of its employees to shape the future of students and, therefore, the future of staff,” she said.
For Reyes, education was the focus during her childhood in the challenging circumstances she faced in Guatemala.
When Reyes came to Trinity, she had the opportunity to follow her dreams — something she could not do in Guatemala. With the chance to study in the United States, everything aligned with her goals.
Meanwhile, Palacios returned to the United States in December 2018. Born in Washington, she is a U.S. citizen but moved to Peru with her parents when she was one year old.
Although the transition to a new life in the U.S. was daunting for Reyes and Palacios, each found their future at Trinity relatively easily.
“In Peru, my parents’ jobs pay extraordinarily little,” Palacios said, adding that she believes the Peruvian government could address this by improving the economy.
Reyes, who graduated from Trinity with a bachelor’s degree in 2021, is satisfied with her years of study. All her effort paid off, and she now enjoys her career helping immigrant students succeed in college.
“The main reasons (for immigration) are the search for higher education opportunities, economic opportunities, or security,” Carriere-Kretschmer said. “People leave their country of origin because they want a better future for themselves and their children.”
As these women settled into life as Trinity students, they found a place where all are welcome. Through their personal experiences and knowledge, they recognized that this is a high priority at Trinity.
Ochoa is focusing on her education to prepare for her future because she believes she can eventually make a difference in her home country of Honduras.