The staff at The Daily Eastern News recognizes that there are many students on campus who deserve to be in the spotlight.

As part of a way to showcase outstanding student achievement among the student body, the News began writing about several students who have accomplished extraordinary feats and continue to do so on a daily basis.

Thus, in an article from Monday’s issue of The Daily Eastern News, we featured junior Yesenia Muruato, who talked about her immigration journey in the newest edition of Student Spotlight.

Though we recognize that there may be readers in our audience who may disagree with Muruato and her status as a DREAMer under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, we would like to take the time to show the hard work Muruato has put forth to pay for her education, and better herself, all the while building peace between those who support DREAMers and those who do not.

We at The Daily Eastern News support the hard work, perseverance, courage and dedication any student on this campus displays, regardless of what they look like or what their immigration status is.

Many immigrants who come to the United States illegally are just trying to better their lives, like Muruato and her family.

Their journey to the United States was far from easy, but despite the challenges they went through, they were still willing to risk everything they had for even the chance to become citizens. Regardless of where you stand on the immigration debate, that is something to be admired.

Hopefully, by reading her story, people realize that immigrants are people, and when they talk about DACA, they are talking about an issue that affects real people. While the consequences of taking something like DACA away might not seem like a big deal to you, they make a huge difference to people like Muruato and her family.

We stand by Muruato and her courage to speak up about her status as an undocumented student, her fears and her willingness to continue her education despite the struggles she faces and the negativity she encounters on a daily basis.

Furthermore, we encourage our peers and other members of the Eastern and Charleston community to understand Muruato’s hardships and to view her life through a window of compassion.  We are not saying you have to change your worldview and everything you think about immigration. All we ask is that you keep an open mind for the people who are your neighbors, friends and classmates, and remember that they have feelings too.