The Hope Club aims to provide crucial resources for undocumented students to excel in college.
With Eduardo “Eddie” Vidal as president, the club works with the Dream Resource Center to provide resources such as scholarships, legal services, and workshops. Their goal is to bring empowerment to the undocumented community.
The club has gone to conferences for undocumented students at different schools such as UCLA and Cal State Dominguez Hills, which Vidal said has been life-changing and motivating for students in the club.
Current member Angelica Brillantes said that the club is one of Citrus’ best resources for undocumented students as there are still scarce opportunities outside of Citrus. Undocumented students have a harder time finding internship opportunities, applying for scholarships and receiving financial aid. However, the club provides a good starting point.
The Hope Club had a scholarship jam in the spring, which Vidal plans to host again in coming semesters. This event helped undocumented students write their scholarship essays.
Vidal said that using Instagram has been crucial for the club’s growth. He said that insights and impressions can indicate how many people the club’s work is reaching online.
“I think that’s been great, not just for our club, for all the clubs,” he said.
Vidal also said that the Hope Club has helped open doors for other clubs such as Innovate X that work alongside each other.
To find out more about the Hope Club or to get involved, students can email the club advisor, Jorge Acosta at jaacosta@citruscollege.edu or visit the Dream Resource Center online at https://www.citruscollege.edu/stdntsrv/drc/Pages/default.aspx or in CC 127.
