This is a response to the article published about my resignation from SGSU on February 1st, 2017. I still stand with everything I said, but would like to clarify some points that were brought up.

Student Government does great work and will continue to do great work. I trust that they will continue advocating for students in whatever ways they can. They have been hard at work to revise the way they carry out their advocacy and what their projects will look like in the future.

Student Government is stronger than ever and I hope that you all can seek office or find some other way to get involved with SGSU.

When I mentioned that I could not find meaningful change in Student Government, I’m not saying that Student Government isn’t productive, I’m saying that it’s not for me right now. I need to do work in the community helping undocumented students apply for DACA, apply for college, or find other leadership opportunities that would help them achieve their goals.

I do believe that SU was never fully equipped to handle the acceptance of undocumented students. I believe that there is so much work to be done, and so much work that should have been done long before this became a serious issue. We must look into the admissions process, financial assistance, legal assistance, and resources offered on campus that will help undocumented students graduate. The University of Washington has an office dedicated solely to undocumented students (Leadership Without Borders). I should not have to travel there for me to get resources related to my status.

I will still be working with different offices and administrators to ensure we can best support our students. Again, I want to reiterate that I am confident in the decision I have made to resign from Student Government and hope that we can all work together to improve these resources.

Its exhausting work, but I have a vision and am hopeful that this work can be achieved.

Your undocumented, unafraid, and unapologetic friend,

Carlos Rodriguez