DeKALB — DREAM Action NIU celebrated its 12-year anniversary on Wednesday at the Campus Life Building and commemorated its progress as an organization. 

The organization celebrated with cake and reminisced about their own experiences with the club. Speakers stood at a podium while members sat and listened. DREAM action also recorded the celebration so those unable to attend could speak and listen with the group.

DREAM Action advocates for undocumented students on campus and aims to increase awareness about the situations undocumented students face in the U.S.

“We raise awareness (for undocumented students),” DREAM Action member Paulina Salinas said. “There are a lot of undocumented students, many who are scared or afraid or just shy to come out because of their status.”

 While Dream Action has been advocating on behalf of undocumented students for 12 years, DREAM Action President Nava-Moyotl reflects on what is to come for the organization’s future.

“That means a lot that it keeps going, and there is no way that we are going to end it just because there is so much to do still,” Nava-Moyotl said.

Nava-Moyotl explains how she got into DREAM Action and advocating for undocumented students.

“I first started coming last year which was my freshman year. Prior to that, my sibling was a part of it so I knew, and it means a lot to me because it means that there is more advocacy for a lot of the community, the undoccumented community.” Nava-Moyotl said. 

DREAM Action member Luis Amezquita said that part of the reason he transferred to NIU was because of DREAM Action.

“The space that was help for undocumented students was new to me, and that helped me really connect with others on the interests that we had,” Amezquita said. “That was one of the big reasons why I transferred to NIU just because Dream Action was here and because they were doing a lot of work not just within the campus, but that spilled out to the rest of the state, and that’s something that caught my eye because they have been working for a long time for change.”

DREAM Action advocates for state financial aid for undocumented students.

“We will have to continue advocating for undocumented students as long as long as there are undocumented people in the U.S.,” Amezquita said.