Silver City, NM - While posing for a picture at her new university home, Grecia Rivas realizes that enrolling at Western New Mexico University marked the next step in her journey to bring awareness for her people.

Rivas graduated from Palo Verde Magnet High School in Tucson, Arizona; attended Pima Community College and transferred to WNMU this fall. She is a 23-year old undocumented immigrant with a mission.

"I have been involved in the immigrant rights movement for the past three years working to make higher education accessible to all students," said Rivas.

Rivas was born in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico; and immigrated to the United States at the age of three. She plans to be the first member of her family to graduate from college.

"Undocumented immigrants are facing important issues including lack of support from counselors and administrators when transitioning out from high school and into college," Rivas explained. "Educators are not well informed or prepared to help these students."

A leader with ScholarshipsA-Z and United We Dream, organizations working to improve higher education access to immigrant families, Rivas' efforts have helped other high school and college-aged immigrants find scholarships and transition to universities.

"I co-facilitate webinars about education access and train high school counselors on how to work more effectively with immigrant families," said Rivas. "Counselors are misinformed and tell students that they can't go to college."

As was the case with Rivas, who was told by her high school counselor that she would not able to go to college. Rivas is benefiting from a federal program called DACA, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. The program is a policy created by President Obama in 2012, allowing certain undocumented young people who came to the United States as children to receive deferred action permitting them to apply for employment authorization and to remain in the United States.

Rivas believes that teachers, counselors and administrators need more than education about undocumented immigrants and that their personal involvement with immigrant youths is needed to make a difference.

"In order to be informed and know what is happening with these students, as an educator you must engage with the student and truly be committed with his or her story," said Rivas.

Majoring in fine arts with an emphasis in graphic design, Rivas wants her knowledge and artistic talent to work as a tool in helping immigrants find success through education.

"Unlike many designers who think that graphic design is all about corporate logos and glossy page layouts, I believe design is an instrument for change," said Rivas. "I want to use graphic design to advance a social justice movement."