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Luke: DACA “Gave Me A New Faith, And Brought Out A New Me To Reject Fear”

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Earlier this week, Sen. Dick Durbin shared the story of Luke, a gifted student and community leader who is currently a PhD candidate in chemistry at the University of Chicago.

According to a letter Luke wrote to Sen. Durbin, “DACA did much more than shielding me from deportation and changing my immediate circumstances; it gave me a new faith, and brought out a new me to reject fear and continue worthwhile pursuits.”

“DACA has been tremendously empowering. Wherever I find myself in the future I hope to mentor, encourage, and ultimately empower others.”

Watch Luke’s inspirational story below.

From Senator Durbin’s speech:

In 2002, when Luke Hwang was 11-years old, his family brought him to the United States from South Korea. Luke grew up in Palisades Park, New Jersey. Luke said the following about growing up in Palisades Park: “It didn’t take long for me to adjust and assimilate because my elementary school offered bilingual classes in Korean and English. This is the kind of America I have known and experienced— not just mundanely accepting diversity but going above and beyond to serve the unique needs of a diverse community.”

From an early age, Luke had a passion for science. He was accepted into a math and sciences magnet high school called Bergen County Academies which was ranked by Newsweek as one of the top five public high schools in the country. At Bergen County Academies, Luke won several awards at regional science fairs. He also volunteered as an Emergency Medical Technician in the local ambulance corps. Because of his academic accomplishments, Luke was accepted as a University Scholar in the Macaulay Honors College at the City College of New York. In 2013, Luke graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor’s of Science in Chemistry and received an award for the highest grade point average of any chemistry major.

This brilliant young man is currently a PhD candidate in chemistry at the University of Chicago. He also works as a researcher at the university. In his spare time, he volunteers with the Chicago Korean American Resource and Cultural Center, an organization that provides services to disadvantaged members of the community.

Thanks to DACA, Luke is on the road towards making his childhood passion into a promising career as a scientist. In a letter to Senator Durbin, Luke wrote: “DACA did much more than shielding me from deportation and changing my immediate circumstances; it gave me a new faith, and brought out a new me to reject fear and continue worthwhile pursuits. DACA has been tremendously empowering. Wherever I find myself in the future I hope to mentor, encourage, and ultimately empower others.