Class of 2021: Jennifer Morquecho, B.S. Health Information Management

Dreamer is First-Generation College Graduate at Rutgers School of Health Professions

At the age of six, Jennifer Morquecho came to the United States from Ecuador, joining her parents who had come first in search of a better life and education for their children.

Jennifer had overcome a language barrier, gone to community college and transferred to a four-year university when her immigration status suddenly became uncertain. She is a Dreamer, a recipient of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. But in 2017, she couldn’t renew her status under the Trump administration’s efforts to halt the program.

She left school, took a job and waited for the law to change, as her mother worried that her chance for a college education had evaporated.

But her mother had friends who had gone to Rutgers who suggested that the university would welcome her and that she might be eligible for financial assistance even as an undocumented immigrant. She transferred to Rutgers School of Health Professions in 2018, saying she felt accepted and supported as she waited to see if she could renew her DACA status.

She graduates in May with a bachelor’s degree in Health Information Management.

“I knew I wasn’t alone, and the fight wasn’t over, so I kept pushing forward and being optimistic,” she said. “I made great friendships at Rutgers and was not judged for my immigration status. When the Supreme Court couldn’t remove DACA it was a big win for all the recipients like myself and I felt very appreciative.”

Rutgers awards financial aid to Dreamers who meet qualifications.

Jennifer, who will be the first in her family to earn a college degree, said it wasn’t easy to move to another country and learn English.

“I remember my first day of first grade there was a test in English, but I only knew Spanish,” Jennifer said.

She felt like an outsider having to take ESL classes, but this only motivated her to learn English at a faster pace. While she was accelerating in English, she was not doing her best in elementary school. A bad grade woke her up.

“I realized my mom didn’t bring me here and make a sacrifice to not do well,” said Jennifer. “In sixth grade my main goal was to get honor roll mention, and then I continued to get high honors, an achievement I always wanted since my parents sacrificed to bring me here.”

Jennifer knew she wanted to go to college with the goal of working in a health-related profession.

With her HIM degree, Jennifer aspires to be a manager or a director in a hospital or acute care center, helping patients in release of information, management, and billing.

“We are proud of Jennifer’s accomplishments and believe that she will be is a valuable future HIM professional,” said Memory Ndanga, assistant professor.

Speaking English and Spanish, Jennifer also wants to work with Latinx patients. “Being bilingual, I know I could help the Spanish community understand what health care is and the options available to them,” she said.

While the journey was difficult, Jennifer reached her goal of graduating college and working towards a career in health care, bringing her parents’ dream for their children to have a better life to fruition.

“Although I miss my homeland and my family, I have learned to call America my new home – where I’m able to expand my dreams, reach milestones and continue with my education,” she said.

“As you may know, we in DACA are also known as “Dreamers” and I will never stop being one.”

– By Alessandra Izaguirre