Film Fellow Frisly Soberanis' Journey To Pay For College Gets New York Times Treatment

You may recall over the summer we introduced you to Frisly Soberanis, our talented Film Fellow who was looking for donations so he could pay for his first semester of college as he's an undocumented student. This week over at The New York Times, Frisly's story is fleshed out in a beautiful six-and-a-half minute documentary made by Mimi Schiffman. "I followed Frisly Soberanis, an illegal immigrant from Guatemala, through his final weeks of high school and the run-up to what he hoped would be his first semester at Brooklyn College," writes Schiffman. She continues, "More than four million illegal immigrants under the age of 25 are thought to be living in the United States according to 2009 census figures, yet statistics indicate that only around 65,000 graduate from high school each year. The reason for the huge disparity between population and attrition rates comes down to opportunity. There are many obstacles for those who aspire to higher education, and in the schools that do accept illegal immigrants, students do not have access to federal financial aid. Without the opportunity to hold down steady, legal jobs, young illegal immigrants often do not make it to college at all." Though Frisly was able to pay for his first semester he still has many challenges ahead. But he's staying positive. "Education leads to opportunities, it leads to some type of security," he says. We'll continue to keep you updated on his story. But for now, check out Schiffman's great piece.