Marika Fama

University of Colorado Denver - 2019

Undocumented Students and Sexual Health

“I come from a family of Italian immigrants on my mother’s side, and from my father’s side, I am Puerto Rican. Growing up, I was brought up by my grandmother who did her best to raise me. However, living with her I was considerably sheltered which had its benefits and drawbacks. Some of the benefits include being raised with a great work ethic, a passion for helping others and animals, and a curiosity that has fueled my undergraduate studies. On the other hand, I did not know a lot about social justice issues until I was old enough to realize it and educate myself. For instance, I never realized how important access to birth control is or about reproduction rights for women. Neither my grandmother or my mother graduated with a college degree. I am a first-generation student which in of itself has created many challenges for me. I did not have the guidance of parents who had graduated from college and could help me navigate college which was difficult at times because I did not know what to expect and I did not know about financial aid. Not to mention, no one ever discussed going to college with me, or if college, in general, was brought up it was clear that everyone thought it was too expensive and that I would not be able to attend. Two social justice projects that I am interested in working on is helping undocumented students and focusing on sexual health/reproduction rights.”