Juan Rubio Pulido’s journey from childhood to obtaining his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice shows that, while there's no singular path to getting a degree, you'll often find support along the way at UNLV.
His story illustrates the obstacles faced by many of the 400,000 undocumented college students in the United States.
Pulido began at UNLV in the Honors College as an art major, but after a semester, he redirected his focus toward a career in law, concentrating on immigration.
“I found a lot of self-fulfillment in being able to advocate for others and to stand up for them when they have no grasp of the system and the extent of their rights within the states,” Pulido said.
Transitioning to the criminal justice program with the support of his parents, Pulido began engaging in academic and extracurricular activities to gain valuable experience in the legal field. “I joined as many organizations as I could that were pre-law or law-based.”
Pulido soon learned about TheDream.US, a scholarship program partnered with UNLV that offers resources and financial assistance for undocumented students pursuing higher education. The program provided vital financial support and guidance. Through the program, Pulido was connected with internship and mentorship opportunities.
“They send out emails with a bunch of opportunities, whether it be summer internships, winter break internships, or scholarship opportunities beyond The Dream.US, and the counselors themselves, Nicole, she's super amazing and helpful, and she'll connect you with whatever you need.”
"Working with Juan and scholars like him is a tremendous privilege. We are lucky to have support from TheDream.US to bring these talented students to UNLV," said Nicole Stella, director of the GEAR UP ASPIRE Scholars Program.
Born in Jalisco, Mexico, Pulido’s family moved to the United States when he was 3 years old, settling in Texas before moving to Las Vegas.
“We moved to Vegas because we had some closer family members and we thought it'd be easiest to get acclimated to life here in the States,” Pulido said.
Growing up in the east side of Las Vegas, where the vibrant Hispanic community provided a sense of belonging, Pulido navigated the challenges of learning English with the support of his peers and teachers.
“Over time, I began to dominate English, and by third grade, I was at a fifth-grade reading level,” Pulido said.
Pulido's determination to excel academically pushed him forward, eventually leading him to pursue art in high school.
“The end goal beyond [high school] graduation was to study at an art institute,” Pulido said.
And he did get into his dream art school, but “it didn't work out financially and also [I was] lacking legal status within the States,” he said.
His advice for students in a similar situation is to be proud of overcoming unique challenges.
“For a long time, I was ashamed to admit that I didn't have the most conventional immigration status… [but] there's nothing wrong with originating from another country. If anything, it just makes you stronger because you had to force yourself to assimilate to the culture of a country completely different from yours, to learn a different language,” he said. “Just because you're from another country, or just because you're lacking in legal status, that doesn't make you any less, and if you reach out, the resources will always be there.”
At UNLV, he found those resources as he navigated his academic transitions. He knew pursuing a career in law would require a lot of hard work and commitment and he had to be honest with himself that this was something he could accomplish.
“You have to know what you want from this because your parents have made a lot of sacrifices and unfortunately, we don't have the privilege of taking the time to decide where we want to head.”
While Pulido waits for his admission decisions from law schools, including the UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law, he hopes to stay in Las Vegas to pursue his law career.
“I don't want to leave home, I find a lot of comfort here,” Pulido said. In the meantime, he plans to focus his time studying to improve his LSAT score and continuing to work at his current employer, a Latino-based law firm in town.
About UNLV's Undocumented Student Program
The Undocumented Student Program (USP) provides services, resources, and support to undocumented students and mixed-status families at UNLV. The USP resource coordinator helps students connect with campus and community resources based on their unique needs and academic goals.
About TheDream.US
TheDream.US is the nation’s largest college and career success program for immigrant youth, having provided more than 10,000 college scholarships to DREAMers attending more than 80 partner colleges in more than 20 states and Washington, DC.
