Watts Teacher Honored By White House As A 'Champion Of Change'
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A chemistry teacher at Animo College Preparatory Academy in Watts will be among nine educators with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status honored by the White House Friday as "Champions of Change."
Jaime Ballesteros was born in the Philippines, received a bachelor's degree from Drew University and joined Teach for America as a 2014 California Corps member. He is pursuing a master's degree in urban education at Loyola Marymount University.
Ballesteros came to the U.S. when he was 11 years old because his father had found a job and received a work visa, according to Teach for America. But when a recession hit, Ballesteros' father was laid off and his work visa expired, putting the family in undocumented status.
President Barack Obama announced in 2012 that individuals who came to the United States as children and met certain criteria would receive Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status, barring them from being deported and allowing them to apply for a green card.
The Champions of Change program was created by the Obama administration as an opportunity for the White House to feature individuals, businesses and organizations doing extraordinary things to empower and inspire members of their communities.
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