{"id":38912,"date":"2018-07-16T06:50:07","date_gmt":"2018-07-16T10:50:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/?p=38912"},"modified":"2018-07-16T11:31:22","modified_gmt":"2018-07-16T15:31:22","slug":"outstanding-young-alumna-us-claudette-monroy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2018\/outstanding-young-alumna-us-claudette-monroy\/","title":{"rendered":"Outstanding Young Alumna\/us: Claudette Monroy"},"content":{"rendered":"

For nearly half of her life, Claudette Monroy \u201910<\/strong> has endured the precarious existence of a hang glider, at the mercy of shifting winds to either soar in the United States or face deportation to her native Mexico. Monroy is a DREAMer, a beneficiary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, with the courage to speak publicly about her status despite fear of repercussion or exposure to harsh anti-immigrant sentiment. <\/span><\/p>\n

Despite her unstable position, Monroy remains steadfast in her desire to assist immigrants in need. For her advocacy and accomplishments as an educator and immigrant rights advocate, she is EMU\u2019s Outstanding Young Alumna\/us<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Monroy moved from Torre\u00f3n in north central Mexico to Fairfax, Virginia, when she was 15 with her mother and little sister. The family entered on tourist visas. Her father had died five years earlier and the family was struggling to survive in Mexico. Monroy\u2019s older sister took the two girls in. Eventually, she completed high school in Harrisonburg in 2006, excelling academically but feeling ashamed of her citizenship status.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sharing her story through Young Life put her in contact with Eldon Kurtz \u201976<\/strong>, longtime physical plant director, now retired, and Jason Good \u201905<\/strong>, then director of admissions, who encouraged her to apply for a scholarship for undocumented individuals. At EMU, \u201cI integrated my faith in the Lord in other areas of my life,\u201d she said, expressing gratitude to economics professors Chris Gingrich<\/a>, Walt Surratt and Jim Leaman<\/a> for challenging her academically and equipping her professionally. Her economics courses also opened her eyes to the \u201cbrokenness of the system\u201d and inspired her to \u201cengage with and be a steward of God\u2019s blessings.\u201d Monroy became socially and politically engaged with Harrisonburg\u2019s poor immigrant communities.<\/span><\/p>\n