Support NeoGAF

[HStallion]

Excuse me but how the fuck is being a Valedictorian gaming the system? You don't just go to class and sit your ass down at a desk and get a 4.5 and outdo every other student on your grade level and do it consistently for years on end. Sorry but nah, she earned that and it has nothing but jack and shit to do with her status as a citizen, oh jack up and left town a long time ago.

Edit: Everyone know's why she said this too, its to give a face to the fight for many of these people when Guys like Trump are calling them rapists, murderers and scum.

 

[ANDS]

This is going to blow your mind: illegal aliens are normal people, so her being valedictorian isn't anything shocking.

Uhm. Most people aren't undocumented immigrants and most people aren't valedictorians. I'm going to say it's pretty shocking.

 

[pgtl_10]

How the fuck do you get a 4.5 GPA?

Out of 5

 

[Einchy]

Uhm. Most people aren't undocumented immigrants and most people aren't valedictorians. I'm going to say it's pretty shocking.

its pretty shocking that her name is Mayet Lara, I mean, how many people could there be named that? What an oddity.

 

[nel e nel]

No, some schools make AP classes (not the exams) weigh more so doing well in them can really pump up your GPA. I think lots of colleges also ask for unweighted GPA too though so you can't hide behind them that much.

Colleges use their own weighting systems, that's why you submit your transcript and not just a report card. AP scores are also scrutinized because they have become so popular over the past 20 years that you need a minimum of a 4 to get college credit, and even then that's not guaranteed.

 

[Gotchaye]

Although actually I'm pretty surprised that UT is allowed to offer a scholarship to someone who's undocumented. This is the state legislature which recently required that students be allowed to carry guns on campus. Some federal law or court ruling?

Edit: No, this is just Texas law. Good for Texas.

 

[HStallion]

Uhm. Most people aren't undocumented immigrants and most people aren't valedictorians. I'm going to say it's pretty shocking.

I've known several of both, far more undocumented immigrants of course but Amazing I know.

 

[nel e nel]

Although actually I'm pretty surprised that UT is allowed to offer a scholarship to someone who's undocumented. This is the state legislature which recently required that students be allowed to carry guns on campus. Some federal law or court ruling?

Depends on where the money is coming from, and how it's stipulated it can be spent. She just says full tuition paid, doesn't clarify where it came from. Could be any number of grants, scholarships or other places that don't have federal restrictions.

 

[ChawlieTheFair]

Happy for her, but pondering why such an intelligent woman would declare that in such a fashion. I agree with her sentiment, but not her juvenile avenue, Twitter. She could have expressed the same thing with so much more nuance, and not on such a terrible website.

 

[Trojita]

Although actually I'm pretty surprised that UT is allowed to offer a scholarship to someone who's undocumented. This is the state legislature which recently required that students be allowed to carry guns on campus. Some federal law or court ruling?

It might be a private scholarship. They shouldn't be giving out a state public scholarship if she is illegal. Depending on how long she has lived there she might qualify for the cheaper in state rates due to residency though.

 

[Hickbilly Deluxe]

I may be wrong on this, but I think most universities require you to be a US citizen or documented immigrant to get a scholarship. So to brag about being an illegal and getting it may not be the best of ideas.

 

[singhr1]

Out of 5

Na, it's out of 4 for her. Do you really expect a 4.5/5 to be a Valedictorian?

I may be wrong on this, but I think most universities require you to be a US citizen or documented immigrant to get a scholarship. So to brag about being an illegal and getting it may not be the best of ideas.

I believe so.. It's definitely true for Med School so girl #2 will have some trouble too

 

[jaekeem]

I may be wrong on this, but I think most universities require you to be a US citizen or documented immigrant to get a scholarship. So to brag about being an illegal and getting it may not be the best of ideas.

Yeah, especially bcuz UT is a state school, no?

Hm. Brave on her part, but definitely a questionable decision in retrospect.

 

[entremet]

Happy for her, but pondering why such an intelligent woman would declare that in such a fashion. I agree with her sentiment, but not her juvenile avenue, Twitter. She could have expressed the same thing with so much more nuance, and not on such a terrible website.

It's just social media. Weird you're getting annoyed because of that.

You wanted her to writeup a post on Medium?

 

[SuperSamyon]

This is going to blow your mind: illegal aliens are normal people, so her being valedictorian isn't anything shocking.

Normal people who are breaking the law.

I find her tweet extremely offensive and immature. And I say that as an American who happens to be hispanic.

Just because she is for all intents and purposes a good person who happens to be undocumented doesn't change the fact that it is still against the law. At the very least, bragging about it and still waving the Mexican flag even though it was under the American flag that you have achieved success also seems to do nothing but troll people.

Now, the foolish girl will have a hell of a time getting into a university since everyone will know she is undocumented. Her only chance is to go to a private University that doesn't accepts public funding.

 

[ANDS]

its pretty shocking that her name is Mayet Lara, I mean, how many people could there be named that? What an oddity.

HowManyOfMe says there are about 1600 Mayets, 71474 Lara's but only one Mayet Lara. No idea if this is THEE Mayet; if it is she most be documented somewhere. Not sure oddity is the word I'd choose for their name. Unique?

I've known several of both, far more undocumented immigrants of course but Amazing I know.

What was the overlap?

 

[ChawlieTheFair]

It's just social media. Weird you're getting annoyed because of that.

You wanted her to writeup a post on Medium?

No, Facebook would have perfect.

 

[Gotchaye]

Normal people who are breaking the law.

I find her tweet extremely offensive and immature. And I say that as an American who happens to be hispanic.

Just because she is for all intents and purposes a good person who happens to be undocumented doesn't change the fact that it is still against the law. At the very least, bragging about it and still waving the Mexican flag even though it was under the American flag that you have achieved success also seems to do nothing but troll people.

Now, the foolish girl will have a hell of a time getting into a university since everyone will know she is undocumented. Her only chance is to go to a private University that doesn't accepts public funding.

I was sort of surprised that this was all fine with UT myself, but apparently it is and Texas law gives undocumented immigrants basically (I think?) the same status as citizens at UT. https://world.utexas.edu/isss/students/dreamers/who-is-undocumented

Also, like, obviously this isn't about "trolling people". Come on. The point is to say "I'm exactly the sort of person you want contributing to your country, but Donald Trump wants to kick me out".

 

[my name is ed]

And what exactly are undocumented people doing or achieving?

The post you quoted has such gross undertones

The tweet could have been better phrased but the point she was making was that undocumented immigrants arent just a bunch of guys standing around home depot waiting to get picked up to work at some construction site.

I dont know what its like now but when I graduated here in Texas, if you were valedictorian you got a full ride the first year of college.

When I graduated I had 4.9 weighted gpa (I forget what it was unweighted on a 4.0 but maybe a 3.7), was top 5% of my class, got into the most difficult to get into program at UT, and had 30+ hours of college credit before I stepped on campus. I was also undocumented at the time and did not receive a lick of financial help though that was more a results of not needing it.

I was never ashamed of being undocumented but I never would have told anyone. Its a poor position to put yourself in but I can see why these students decided to do so. In a way, they are trying humanize a population that many demonize and blame for their problems

 

[pgtl_10]

Na, it's out of 4 for her. Do you really expect a 4.5/5 to be a Valedictorian?



I believe so.. It's definitely true for Med School so girl #2 will have some trouble too

I don't know. I graduated outside the country where they used a 100 point scale.

 

[entremet]

No, Facebook would have perfect.

What a weird complaint lol.

 

[ANDS]

I was sort of surprised that this was all fine with UT myself, but apparently it is and Texas law gives undocumented immigrants basically (I think?) the same status as citizens at UT. https://world.utexas.edu/isss/students/dreamers/who-is-undocumented

Also, like, obviously this isn't about "trolling people". Come on. The point is to say "I'm exactly the sort of person you want contributing to your country, but Donald Trump wants to kick me out".

This would have gotten far more play if she @DT'd him. I'd be quite curious to see his response.

 

[ChawlieTheFair]

I was sort of surprised that this was all fine with UT myself, but apparently it is and Texas law gives undocumented immigrants basically (I think?) the same status as citizens at UT. https://world.utexas.edu/isss/students/dreamers/who-is-undocumented

Also, like, obviously this isn't about "trolling people". Come on. The point is to say "I'm exactly the sort of person you want contributing to your country, but Donald Trump wants to kick me out".

Exactly, but now she's written it in a single sentence where the most obvious feature is snark. And now she is gonna catch unnecessary hell from bigots.

 

[jaekeem]

I was sort of surprised that this was all fine with UT myself, but apparently it is and Texas law gives undocumented immigrants basically (I think?) the same status as citizens at UT.

Also, like, obviously this isn't about "trolling people". Come on. The point is to say "I'm exactly the sort of person you want contributing to your country, but Donald Trump wants to kick me out".

The cynic in me says that you should expect people to demand that undocumented people getting the same status as citizens is something that needs to be ended or challenged very soon.

 

[Nephtis]

As a hispanic I find the tweet to be in extremely poor taste. Good for her for clearly being so book smart, but as a person she has a long way to go bragging like that.

 

[nel e nel]

I may be wrong on this, but I think most universities require you to be a US citizen or documented immigrant to get a scholarship. So to brag about being an illegal and getting it may not be the best of ideas.

Na, it's out of 4 for her. Do you really expect a 4.5/5 to be a Valedictorian?



I believe so.. It's definitely true for Med School so girl #2 will have some trouble too

Yeah, especially bcuz UT is a state school, no?

Hm. Brave on her part, but definitely a questionable decision in retrospect.

Where in her quotes does she say she got a state scholarship? She doesn't, she just says full tuition paid. As I already said, there are lots of other source of money for school that aren't bound by local/state/federal citizenship regulations.

 

[RumblingRosco]

Honestly, I didn't know this until now, but undocumented people living in the US still pay taxes and have a social security number? How do they get a SSN?

 

[HStallion]

HowManyOfMe says there are about 1600 Mayets, 71474 Lara's but only one Mayet Lara. No idea if this is THEE Mayet; if it is she most be documented somewhere. Not sure oddity is the word I'd choose for their name. Unique?



What was the overlap?

None but one of them was a foreman, another was actually working at a college as an adjunct Russian professor, several were dancers and yes, several were Mexican day laborers on many of the construction sites I'd visit. Guess what, they were busting their ass, keeping their heads down and generally respectful whenever I worked directly with them. I probably know many more undocumented people from countries other than Mexico to put this in perspective.

 

[M52B28]

Well, what the fuck do you expect from Tweeting something like that?

She knows what she's doing by doing so, considering she has a 4.5 GPA.

 

[jaekeem]

Where in her quotes does she say she got a state scholarship? She doesn't, she just says full tuition paid. As I already said, there are lots of other source of money for school that aren't bound by local/state/federal citizenship regulations.

Well apparently the system in texas is that any valedictorian automatically gets a full ride to any state college.

 

[pgtl_10]

After she is done, where will she get a job?

 

[ANDS]

None but one of them was a foreman, another was actually working at a college as an adjunct Russian professor, several were dancers and yes, several were Mexican day laborers on many of the construction sites I'd visit. Guess what, they were busting their ass, keeping their heads down and generally respectful whenever I worked directly with them. I probably know many more undocumented people from countries other than Mexico to put this in perspective.

Uh, did anyone say they didn't. What an odd addition.

After she is done, where will she get a job?

How would anyone know? Don't even know what her long term goals are. The Yale graduate if she goes to med school? Probably anywhere she wants.

 

[Tal Shiar Agent]

So what do you think should happen to those people who don't meet that criteria?

And do you think the border should be enforced and what should happen to people who come in anyhow?

Actually this is a good thing for a thread.

Then they just get on the normal path to citizenship, IE residency requirements and the test, without being deported or having the threat of deportation over them.

 

[TestMonkey]

Graduation is actually the perfect time to come out about their undocumented statuses. The DREAM Act states that, upon graduating from high school, these two are immune from deportation and are given fast tracks to citizenship.

 

[ChawlieTheFair]

After she is done, where will she get a job?

With grades like that anywhere.

 

[Fox Mulder]

Sickening how they worked hard to achieve such great standards to further the lives of themselves and their families.

Still illegal immigrants though.

 

[Nephtis]

Honestly, I didn't know this until now, but undocumented people living in the US still pay taxes and have a social security number? How do they get a SSN?

Typically they get the SSN from a friend or relative that is a US citizen (sometimes resident) and either being unemployed or living in Mexico. Sometimes they do it via identity theft. Oftentimes it's the former, but the latter happens plenty of times.

 

[singhr1]

I don't know. I graduated outside the country where they used a 100 point scale.

Oh, sorry. Yeah American schools are weird. But if you're underneath the max an on a 4.0 or 5.0 scale you're probably not Valedictorian

 

[Dennis]

The argument accompanying this was always that illegal immigrants weren't really taking their jobs, because they were working some of the least desirable jobs, such as migrant farm workers.

The same argument doesn't apply to these young women. A spot at Yale or a full scholarship to the University of Texas are highly desirable and highly competitive. There was definitely a US citizen who lost out in those cases. It's a zero sum game.

Yup, to understand the outrage you have to acknowledge Yale and University of Texas didn't create two extra spots for these two individuals.

Two other people had to lose in the American college system for there to be room for these two.

Being Hispanic would these two undocumented girls get Affirmative Action credit on their college applications as well?

 

[Slayven]

I think by Monday this will be a case of "when keeping it real goes wrong".

 

[nel e nel]

Well apparently the system in texas is that any valedictorian automatically gets a full ride to any state college.

Kinda amazing that Texas of all places is somewhat progressive with their education system.

 

[jaekeem]

Yup, to understand the outrage you have to acknowledge Yale and University of Texas didn't create two extra spots for these two individuals.

Two other people had to lose in the American college system for there to be room for these two.

But that's not necessarily true, because every college (that I'm aware of) accepts applications from all over the world (besides West Point and military schools I think).

It's not like you have to live in the USA to apply and get into Harvard.

 

[TestMonkey]

Graduation is actually the perfect time to come out about their undocumented statuses. The DREAM Act states that, upon graduating from high school, these two are immune from deportation and are given fast tracks to permanent residence status.

 

[entremet]

I think by Monday this will be a case of "when keeping it real goes wrong".

Yeah.

These are young women and I'll chalk up to a rookie mistake. But it's not a good look for them personally--internships and jobs.

Not to mention possible online harassment and both being women.

 

[HomerSimpson-Man]

Graduation is actually the perfect time to come out about their undocumented statuses. The DREAM Act states that, upon graduating from high school, these two are immune from deportation and are given fast tracks to citizenship.

Oh really? Haha, nice.

 

[Dennis]

But that's not necessarily true, because every college (that I'm aware of) accepts applications from all over the world (besides West Point and military schools I think).

It's not like you have to live in the USA to apply and get into Harvard.

Harvard does not suddenly decide they have room for more students just because they are from somewhere else.

As the poster before me said, it is a zero sum game. Someone loses when someone wins.

 

[nel e nel]

Well, what the fuck do you expect from Tweeting something like that?

She knows what she's doing by doing so, considering she has a 4.5 GPA.

High GPA doesn't always mean smart, it often means they test well.

 

[HStallion]

How would anyone know? Don't even know what her long term goals are. The Yale graduate if she goes to med school? Probably anywhere she wants.

I wanted to make the same point the girl was with her tweet. She wasn't trolling anyone she was putting a face on the undocumented immigrant that Trump would list as a rapist, a murderer, the worst of the worst that Mexico is dumping in the US. His rhetoric is poisonous and people need some reminding now and again but a lot of people often go for the easiest weak spot and latch on.

 

[ANDS]

Yeah.

These are young women and I'll chalk up to a rookie mistake. But it's not a good look for them personally.

Not to mention possible online harassment and both being women.

I'm pretty sure the women who gave an interview to the local station didn't "accidentally" let it out that she's undocumented.

High GPA doesn't always mean smart, it often means they test well.

Oh please.

I wanted to make the same point the girl was with her tweet. She wasn't trolling anyone she was putting a face on the undocumented immigrant that Trump would list as a rapist, a murderer, the worst of the worst that Mexico is dumping in the US. His rhetoric is poisonous and people need some reminding now and again but a lot of people often go for the easiest weak spot and latch on.

Still really don't know what that has to do with anything I've posted.

 

[nel e nel]

Harvard does not suddenly decide they have room for more students just because they are from somewhere else.

As the poster before me said, it is a zero sum game. Someone loses when someone wins.

The point being that there isn't this same outrage for other non-citizen students.