Luis Juarez-Trevino, via dallasisd.org
In 2004, Luis Juarez-Trevino and his family moved from Mexico to Dallas. He spoke no English. With the help of his teachers at T.C. Marsh Preparatory School, Juarez-Trevino became a top-performing student and continued to excel at W.T. White High School. Upon graduation, he attended the University of Texas at Austin. Despite his academic accomplishments, Juarez-Trevino worried about his future.
America had become home, but he was still an undocumented immigrant. As such, his residency here was precarious. President Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy offered him hope.
DACA grants people who came to the United States as children temporary permission to legally live and work in our country. Of course, in order to receive DACA status, you must meet certain criteria. Juarez-Trevino thought he might qualify, so he applied. Three years ago he discovered his DACA status had been granted. Shortly thereafter, he took a job teaching math and science at Lipscomb Elementary.
Working for DISD is way for Juarez-Trevino to pay homage to the teachers who helped him adjust to life in America. He’s also passionate about education and feels his background helps him relate to Lipscomb’s primarily Hispanic students and their parents. Today, he’s one of nine educators being honored at the White House as a “Champion of Change.” Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council Cecilia Muñoz, and actress and immigrants’ rights advocate Diane Guerrero will all attend the ceremony. It’s a big deal and Juarez-Trevino hopes his success inspires the children he teaches.
“I constantly tell my students that they have to take the initiative to succeed,” he says. “No one else can do that for them. But if you take the initiative and are motivated, great things can and do happen.”
