I am a student at Western Nevada College and working very hard to obtain the requirements to be considered for acceptance into the nursing program next fall.
When I first saw the article "WNC workshops guide Hispanics to college" in the (March 5) Nevada Appeal, I thought, "That's terrific! Applying to college can be daunting and young people need all the help they can get." After reading it, I realized that WNC is targeting undocumented students, and this is wrong. It is not only the undocumented who want an education and need assistance. I firmly believe that the undocumented, i.e., illegal aliens, need to follow the necessary routes to obtain a legal status in order to be allowed into our colleges.
I am an older student, usually the oldest in my classes, praying to be admitted into the extremely competitive nursing program at WNC this year. It is very discouraging to note that this college, or any college, is encouraging illegal aliens to make it more difficult for law abiding citizens to pursue our dreams.
While it is commendable, that Antonio (the boy in the article) wants to further his education, it should not be at the expense of citizens of this country. He may well have grown up here, but his parents have now put him in a really tough situation by being here illegally. Yes, there are many of his peers who are throwing away opportunities to attend college, but that does not give him the right to take their place. He and his family should do what is right, and fulfill the legal requirements to be in this great nation, in order to reap the benefits of higher education here.
Teresa Collier
Gardnerville
