Aliento: Highlights of 2019
Aliento: Highlights of 2019
Aliento is a community organization that believes in transforming trauma into hope and action with dreamers, undocumented students and mixed status families. Aliento is a small but strong team; collectively we’ve engaged more than 16,000 people through our programs and campaigns over these past three years. We have been working nonstop to amplify the voices of those affected by legislative decisions on DACA and immigration. Here is what we did this year!
Early this year, we lead over 200 students and educators to the Arizona Capitol to speak with elected officials across the aisle about the importance of tuition access for all Arizona graduates regardless of immigration status! We brought in more than 500 students throughout the entire legislative session!
Because of the impact our students made at the Capitol, The Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) voted to extend the 150% nonresidential tuition rate to all AZ high school graduadtes including undocumented students! Effectively lowering tuition for DACA and undocumented students who were previously paying the 300% tuition rate.
We onboarded our latest cohort of fellows! Coming from schools all over the valley, the fellows will be working within their schools to ensure sure that all Arizona graduates are eligible for instate tuition regardless of immigration status! We are so excited to work with the next youth leaders and support them with a monetary stipend and leadership development for the next school year.
We hosted our annual Art Gallery this year in Mesa. The exhibition featured the artwork created in our Arts + Healing workshops by folks who identify as undocumented and/or are part of a mixed status family. We had a great turn out! Over 150+ people came through!
The Aliento crew of 22 flew out to Montogmery, Alabama for a 3-day weekend learning trip in the Summer. We visited the Civil Rights Museum, The Legacy Museum, The National Memorial of Peace for Justice, and Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma. By exposing ourselves to these learning sites and immersing ourselves in this history, we walked away having gained a better understanding of topics like slavery, mass incarceration, and the Civil Rights movement.
We do want to mention that during our time in Alabama, the El Paso Shooting had occurred and also the mass immigraiton raid in Mississippi happened a couple days later. We had a lot to reflect on based on what we learned in Alabama about how to continue moving forward.
We brought our Arts + Healing Programs to Eisenhower Center For Innovation in Mesa Public Schools district! We selected 5th and 6th grade students of migrant or low incoming families to be part of our pilot cohort! Our hope is to bring our programs to all schools in Mesa district!
Our Education & Advocacy Director, Jose Patino, was named to be part of the School Safety Task Force which was launched by Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman. Jose will be representing Aliento to share insights from the DACA and mixed status families community!
Aliento was named in amicus brief along with 165 universities in support of DACA Recipients as DACA heads to the Supreme Court.
On November 12, 2019 the United States Supreme Court had oral arguments on the DACA program. The nine supreme court judges will hold the fate of over 669,080 DACA recipients nationwide in their hands. After the termination of the DACA program by the Trump administration hundred of thousands of youth would not be eligible to apply, leaving many of them in the shadows.
Our Founder/CEO, Reyna Montoya, and her brother, Mario Monotoya, waited outside of the Supreme Court so she could get into the Court Hearings over DACA!
Speaking about our Founder, Reyna truly dominated this year. She was selected as a keynote speaker at the Forbes Under 30 Summit 2019 to speak about the impactful work at Aliento. The event was also attended by Normani, Chainsmokers, 21 Savage, and Serena Williams!
Reyna Montoya was awarded the Young Professional award by the Greater Phoenix Chamber at the Athena Awards 2019!
The ATHENA Awards, named after the Greek goddess of courage and wisdom, is a program of ATHENA International, a non-profit organization dedicated to creating leadership opportunities for women.
Reyna was also awarded the College Leader Award from the College of Liberal Arts at Arizona State University!
Congratulations Reyna!
We also celebrated our 3rd Year Anniversary! Our theme was Cultiva, Nurture, and Transform. Focusing on the past, present, and future of Aliento! We may still be a young organization, but we know we have a bright future ahead of us!
Give to Aliento
On December 3, 2019, please consider giving to Aliento. As we are ending this decade we are getting ready to protect dreamers, undocumented students and mixed status families and we need YOU as we await for a decision on the fate of DACA from the Supreme Court.