Teen Overcomes Undocumented Status, Becomes A Florida Gator
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MIAMI LAKES (CBSMiami) – An undocumented immigrant teenager, who feared he would not get a chance to go to college because he did not have the money, is now officially a University of Florida Gator.
CBS4 News first profiled Giancarlo Tejeda back in April.
Tejeda was 3-years-old when his parents brought him from Colombia to South Florida.
As he got older, he realized that his citizenship status could stop him in his path to pursue a career.
He threw himself into his studies, believing that if he could be one of the best, his future would remain bright.
He graduated magna cum laude from Miami Lakes Educational Center with a certificate in computer systems.
But as an undocumented immigrant, he did not qualify for financial aid.
So his former teacher Neyda Borges helped raise the money he needed to pay for school, along with the help of our CBS4 News viewers who also contributed.
Tejeda can now achieve his dream – studying biomedical engineering to cure Alzheimer's disease-inspired by his own grandmother.