Brenda Avila-Hanna

Vanessa, a teenager born in Mexico, has lived in the United States with her family since she was six years old. Once an excelling middle-school student with big dreams of becoming a doctor, Vanessa begins to be haunted by her undocumented status as she reaches high school. Reconsidering her aspirations, Vanessa begins to give up on academics. Then, in the summer of 2012, Washington approves the "Deferred Action" policy that would grant Vanessa immunity from being deported for the next two years, allow her to get a job and to apply to college. Now what?