Jonathan Lopez fulfilled his childhood dream of attending college, but in the fall of 2008, he realized that dream was a lot more difficult than he thought it would be. Now, he’s working to make sure that journey to graduate college is easier for undocumented students.
Jonathan always wanted to attend college, despite no one in his family attending. He moved to the U.S. at 15 and attended Thomas Kelly High School on the city’s Southwest Side. He was learning English and preparing academically for college, but he wasn’t sure how he would afford it. Additionally, he kept hearing that many institutions wouldn’t accept him because he was undocumented, and he couldn’t apply to a lot of scholarships, as they required a social security number.
So, in 2006, instead of heading to college after graduating high school, Jonathan went to work and spent the next year saving up. During this time, he found community in online forums with other young people around the country who were also undocumented and wanted to go to college. The consensus among the online group was that community college was the most accessible for undocumented students. That led Jonathan to Harold Washington College. He spoke with a counselor, toured the building, and ran into some people he knew from his online community. They walked Jonathan through the process of enrolling and shared their positive experiences.
Although he had to work full-time to be able to pay his tuition out of pocket, in the fall of 2008, Jonathan’s childhood dream of enrolling in college was realized.
“The faculty and staff were so welcoming,” he said. “My advisor walked me through the courses I’d be taking, and I had to pause for a moment to let it all sink in. After two years of pushing through challenges and rejections, I was finally enrolled—in college, in downtown Chicago, ready to attend my first class. It didn’t feel real; it was like I was floating, finally here after all the effort.”
Being a Harold Washington student also helped Jonathan build community.
“I wasn’t the only undocumented student,” he said. “I wasn’t the only one working and still taking classes. I wasn’t the only one balancing my life and this semester.”
Jonathan’s time at Harold Washington opened his mind to what could be possible for himself. He began working at a non-profit in 2009, graduated from Harold Washington in 2011, and transferred to Northeastern Illinois University to obtain a Bachelor of Arts in interdisciplinary studies.
Jonathan’s experiences and nonprofit career have fueled his passion for advocating for undocumented students. He co-chairs the Illinois DREAM Fund, which advances access for these students, and is a founding staff member of the Partnership for College Completion, working to ensure equitable access to higher education for all Illinois students. This work is particularly meaningful to him as it reflects both his professional path and the direct impact of his own education, for which he is deeply grateful to City Colleges of Chicago.
"My job now gives me the chance to revisit the places that made me. I can see the progress that has been made since 2006 when I would leave admission offices crying because I couldn’t get into college. I feel hopeful and proud that institutions are willing to evolve to really support all students."
— Jonathan Lopez
