Mayte Lara, 4.5 GPA, Valedictorian, Full Tuition to UT... Undocumented Scum

[Shiranu]

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/local/austin-valedictorian-says-viral-tweet-wasnt-meant-/nrcxg/

An Austin high school valedictorian was thrust into the national spotlight after she tweeted her accomplishments, adding that she is an undocumented immigrant.

“Valedictorian, 4.5GPA, full tuition paid for at UT, 13 cords/medals, nice legs, oh and I’m undocumented,” Mayte Lara, who graduated with honors Friday from Crockett High School.

Lara’s tweet went viral, with 20,000 likes and more than 9,000 retweets, including a barrage of negative, and sometimes profane, comments lodged against her, most calling for her to leave the country and angry about her University of Texas scholarship.

“I didn’t want all this to happen,” Lara told the American-Statesman Wednesday. “My tweet wasn’t made to mock anyone. I just wanted to show that no matter what barriers you have in front of you, you can still succeed.”
...

Lara, who not only graduated at the top of her class, but also served as class president for the past two years and as the National Honor Society president, said she has lived in the U.S. most her life, in Austin for 15 years. She says one of her greatest hardships is overcoming “the stereotype of people like me. Many people think that people like me can’t be successful. We have all the odds stacked against us, and I think it’s important to highlight the fact that anything is possible, regardless of your status. I’ve accomplished things that most people wouldn’t think a person with my background could have, and I’m proud of that.”
She says she wants to become a resident and then a citizen “at any given opportunity” but said it’s not as easy as it sounds.

...
“This is an individual who overcame big obstacles and achieved at high levels; that seems like the American dream to me,” said Ken Zarifis, president of teacher labor group Education Austin. “She has the right to be proud of herself.”
Trustee Paul Saldaña, who represents the area of Austin where Crockett is located: “I was deeply troubled to hear about the online bullies that recently trolled the social media account of Crockett High School’s valedictorian after she disclosed her immigration status. Sadly, there is nothing more un-American than denying compassion and decency towards a young student who has clearly demonstrated a commitment to academic excellence and education to improve the economic future for herself and family.”

My fellow white people crying about how terrible she is... how she must be deported... how she is a scum and blight upon society...
My fellow white people... just once... could you just fucking not? Just once. That would be great. Thanks.

[Hydra009]

Clearly, she's a highly successful young lady.  Good for her.  She also says that she's grateful for the opportunities that this country has given her and hopes to one day become a permanent resident.  Who could possibly hate that?

Breitbart, apparently.

She not only took to Twitter to blow her own horn about her self-accessed “nice legs” and her “13 cords/medals,” “4.5GPA” and Valedictorian status at Crockett High School, she also had to add, “oh and I’m undocumented.”

Mayte Lara attended Crockett High School in Austin, Texas, which is named after David “Davy” Crockett. Crockett of course died during the Battle of the Alamo fighting Santa Anna’s Mexican army for independence during the Texas Revolution.

The thought of an illegal immigrant having a full ride to the University, and presumably on taxpayer dollars, has Texans and others seeing red.

Stay classy, Breitbart.

[TomFoolery]

I actually attend the University of Texas at Austin. Trust me, about half the campus speaks English as a second language between Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, and Spanish. Most of them are there on government grants and aren't citizens either. Of course, most of them came here legally through student or professional visas, but still, it's not like UT is only for Americans and government money only funds the education of citizens. 

[Shiranu]

Same just down the road at Texas State.

[Hijiri Byakuren]

> Valedictorian.
> Announces she's illegal.

Even smart people can do dumb things, it seems.

[Shiranu]

Not really. Texas law protects students like her, as do some federal laws.

She is giving fellow illegals something to look up to, to show that they can make it with hard work. There is nothing stupid about this.

[drunkenshoe]

There is nothing stupid with what she did with announcing her status. Seems like the kid not just books smart, but figured out about life and the culture she is living in more than most adults.

I hope her attempts will work. *Fingers crossed. Go girl. 

[SGOS]

Donald Trump will fix this!

[stromboli]

Smart girl did a smart thing imho. good jab to the face for Trump, open up a polarized issue and pointing out-as Tomfoolery indicated-that there is a lot more to it than the bland illegal immigrant position of most of the Christian Nationalists. A former friend from Colombia was a contractor-brick mason-who hired illegals back in the 70's because they worked harder than the people he could hire locally.

I've known people from El Salvador, Colombia and Mexico as friends. My neighbors kitty corner to me in the mobile home park are Hispanic; the husband from New Mexico and the wife formerly from Mexico. He is a foreman for a construction company and she manages a restaurant. Good hard working people with smart, well behaved children.

[Baruch]

Donald Trump will fix this!

If Trump would deport that Whites and Anglos ... it would work ;-)

[SGOS]

If Trump would deport that Whites and Anglos ... it would work ;-)

I doubt that option has crossed his mind.

[TomFoolery]

Same just down the road at Texas State.

I had no idea you were so close! Small world.

[Shiranu]

I had no idea you were so close! Small world.

Yep, born and (mostly) raised in this area. There use to be someone from just North of Austin here, but I cant remember his name or how long it's been since he posted.

[Shiranu]

This might be a trend...

http://www.cnn.com/videos/tv/2016/06/10/undocumented-valedictorian-daily-hit-newday.cnn

[Shiranu]

The full speech for those who like to get punched in the emotions. At least for me this is a pretty personal topic... but no matter what the fact that a 17 year old has had to worry about stuff like this in the United States is really fucked up.