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Rea Straus
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I am currently a third-year student at Farmingdale State College studying Criminal Justice with the hopes of becoming an immigration lawyer. I was born and raised in the Philippines. In 2011, my world was turned upside down. The father of my children had suddenly passed away from a chronic illness. I became a single mother of three young children. Within only a few months, I also learned of the sudden and tragic passing of my brother. I struggled tremendously with grief but relied on family and friends for support. I had to be resilient and eventually immigrated to the United States in 2013 to pursue my dreams.
ACE gave me a chance to form connections so that I can feel like a member of the campus community. Being an ACE student has also allowed me to focus and further commit to my academics with a graduation timeline in mind. Having a community like ACE has helped me find my voice on campus. To be a lawyer is a crazy dream, especially as an immigrant. ACE has given me a community
on campus to feel like my dream can be a reality.
I plan to graduate in Fall 2025 and continue my education in law school. I want to show my children and other college students that anything you dream of is possible if you work hard enough. I want to graduate from Farmingdale to make my parents proud. I look forward to having the Filipino flag raised at Bunche Plaza on campus to join other international alumni of Farmingdale!
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