Juan Carlos Reyna, San Diego City College’s dean of student development and matriculation, hosted a talk discussing issues facing undocumented students at the SUBIR Dreamer Resource Center on Sept. 22.

The talk also served as a way for Reyna to introduce himself to the City College community. Reyna, who was born in Guadalajara, Mexico, shared personal stories about his life growing up undocumented. 

Reyna educated attendees about available resources and what students can do to take advantage of them. 

One of these resources, the SUBIR Dreamer Resource Center, provides students with free resources and a space to spend time in between classes, according to the website.

“Right now we do have a dreamer center,” Reyna said. “I think we’re one of the leading colleges in that and being able to provide an actual space for undocumented students. So our Dreamer Resource Center is actually part of this initiative to bring about cultural hubs on site.”  

Another resource available to students is the Extended Opportunity Program, or EOPS.

The EOPS program is designed to give students more support based on their individual needs.

“We have a very large EOPS program,” Reyna said. “In recent years, we’ve served well over 1,000 students. All of these programs have very equity-centered philosophies and practices.”  

These programs and resources on campus are open and available to students and some are still looking for new students to join. 

“All of these programs are intended to go above and beyond what the typical college student gets,” Reyna said.

The event was part of City College’s celebration of Latinx Heritage Month. To learn about more events, visit the calendar here.