"When I got off the plane, I was really excited... My brother and I just hugged [our mom] like we would never let her go."
When Angel came to the U.S. from Guatemala in 2013, he was reunited with his mother after thirteen long years.
Angel remembers clearly the anticipation and longing he felt in that moment. "When I got off the plane, I was really excited. It was so exciting...I couldn’t even cry, to be honest. My brother and I just hugged her like we would never let her go."
Shortly after, he was placed in immigration removal proceedings.
With the help of Catholic Charities of Los Angeles Esperanza staff attorney, Evelyn Cedeño-Naik, Angel was granted Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, and then a Green Card, which will allow him to remain in the U.S. permanently.
"When I first got to school, it was quite confusing," Angel admits. "In 9th grade I was kind of shy because it was a new country. I felt weird, but I knew what my main goals were: to learn English fast, and to adjust in my new school... When I got into 11th grade, I took all my classes in English. I got into English honors and AP Spanish... I put in a lot of work.”
This fall, 18-year-old Angel will be a senior in high school, where he plans to take four AP courses and several honors classes.
Last school year, he was the president of an after-school club called “JUCRIS” which aims to keep recent immigrant students on an academic track. Angel plans on continuing his advocacy for immigrant youth and giving back to his community even after high school. "I would like to go back to my school later on and help other kids that had come from different countries like me and are having difficulties in understanding the school system. I would like to give them advice about how to adjust to their new environment, like a mentor."
After graduation, Angel wants to attend college in California to stay close to his family. "After I go to college, I’m just going to live life... to enjoy what I didn’t have when I was little. And help my family. I think that’s my life goal."
