Beyond the Classroom

Students can take the knowledge that they learn in the classroom and use that knowledge to make the community a better place, even right here on campus. DreaMSU is one such example of a student organization that has turned education into advocacy since their creation in 2018.

In 2022, DreaMSU's efforts culminated in a rally held in front of the Hannah Administration Building to support the undocumented and immigrant student community at MSU. Donations surrounding the event were more than double DreaMSU's initial fundraising goal, allowing the organization to provide two scholarships for non-citizen students at MSU this upcoming year.

After the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a shift to mostly digital advocacy work, seeing a crowd of over 50 students brave the rain to support the cause was a welcome sight.

“It is very powerful to see physical support of all of our work,” DreaMSU President and James Madison College Senior Raquel Acosta said.

Efforts from the organization also led to ASMSU, the Council of Graduate Students, and the Faculty Senate all passing resolutions to advocate for the university to hire a full-time staff person focused on immigrant issues.

“Right from the beginning they've been a really strong advocacy group,” DreaMSU advisor and Professor Anna Pegler Gordon, Ph.D., said. “They keep working on what I think are strong, specific things that we can do within the university to make students' experiences better.”

Based on their research, the group has also advocated for increased visibility of the resources available to undocumented students, which led to the creation of a new webpage at the university detailing those resources.

“I think that we, as a university, just need to start making small changes to be more accessible,” Acosta said. “I just want to make sure that we're [the university is] not only engaging on the forefront but also continuing that engagement as we continue our education at MSU.”

Perhaps the most rewarding part of it all, according to Acosta, are the connections that come from the group's advocacy work.

“I really found a sense of community with people who are from tons of different parts of the world but still understand the same types of struggles that we all have endured,” Acosta said.

“That cultural exchange and that type of knowledge is just breathtaking and always priceless.”

DreaMSU is continuing their advocacy efforts with a petition to make Michigan State a sanctuary campus, as well as other initiatives and events coming up this academic year.