Once Undocumented, He Is Now A Champion For Student Engagement

Arturo Ortiz’s dream was within reach.

But everything would soon change. 

As the aspiring surgeon entered a crowded room at Florida International University during orientation, an adviser pulled him aside and delivered the news that would rock him: he was undocumented. 

The status made him ineligible for financial aid.

“I had all these hopes, dreams and potential,” Ortiz said. “It just sucks that you have to have one document that says I’m a human being to be considered for anything.”

Sixteen years later, Ortiz, who is now a permanent resident, is using his story to inspire others facing similar hardships. 

Today, the 35-year-old is pursuing his third associate’s degree at Miami Dade College and galvanizing student engagement, serving as the Student Government Association president and Phi Theta Kappa chapter vice president at Hialeah Campus.

“When I had my [legal] issues, I [didn’t] really have a voice,” Ortiz said. “With SGA I don’t feel like I have to do that anymore…the idea is to give people a voice.”

Overcoming Life’s Challenges

Ortiz was born in Lima, Peru in 1988. Four months after he was born, his parents moved to Miami. 

Growing up in Miami Beach, Ortiz attended local schools in the area, eventually graduating from Miami Beach Senior High School in 2006.  

After his dreams of taking classes at FIU were crushed, he registered at Wolfson Campus to study biology. His tuition was covered by the Bright Futures Scholarship.

Four years later, Ortiz completed his associate’s degree in biology and began studying crime scene technology at North Campus. He earned his second degree in 2012. 

After graduating, Ortiz participated in the 2013 Summer Research Institute at the School of Science at North Campus, where he researched how to determine the age of a caveman’s remains using radiation. 

“We noticed that he was very intelligent and outgoing,” said Danay Montes de Oca, who at the time served as the assistant to the dean of the School of Science. “He’s had a lot going against him and he’s been able to navigate that.”

After completing the research program, Ortiz began working retail jobs at stores like GAP and ZARA to support his father—who had issues with high blood pressure and suffered from diabetes. 

By 2019, Ortiz’s parents were forced to return to Peru after their application for a green card was denied. A few months later, Ortiz’s father’s health deteriorated due to kidney complications caused by diabetes.

The predicament put him in a bind. 

Ortiz, who could not travel outside the U.S. because his green card application was also denied, could not travel to Peru to see his dad. 

He prayed for a miracle. 

His prayers were answered after he filed an appeal. Within six days he received his green card—the process normally takes six months. 

“Seeing my family was bittersweet, a beautiful experience but under such sad circumstances,” Ortiz said. “ I was grateful I even had the opportunity.”

A day after he arrived in Peru, his dad died.  

Less than a year later, Ortiz’s grandmother, who had cancer, died from complications caused by a tumor removal procedure. 

During the process, Ortiz was shocked by the lack of empathy shown by the nurses who took care of his loved ones. The situation influenced him to enroll at Hialeah Campus last spring to complete prerequisite courses before starting his associate’s degree in nursing. 

“I just felt like I was coming back home,” Ortiz said. “I went back to a place that believed in me.”

A Changemaker

Upon his return, Ortiz sought to make a difference. 

He joined SGA and Beta Pi Theta—the PTK chapter at Hialeah Campus—and began organizing events promoting civic engagement and mental health advocacy. One of those initiatives is the Chill Spot—a space that connects students with mental health resources. 

“His commitment to his leadership positions is really admirable,” said Georgette Perez, the president at Hialeah Campus. “He has dedicated himself to being an excellent student leader and he really wants to pay it forward.”

Ortiz also promoted Motivote—a digital voter engagement platform—and worked with the Institute for Civic Engagement and Democracy to create workshops to register students to vote and develop leadership skills. 

“He helped recruit more than 300 students to participate in Motivote,” said Josh Young, the college-wide iCED director. “He is a champion for voter engagement.”

His efforts earned him a nomination for the Newman Civic Fellowship and the ALL IN Student Voting Honor Roll Award.

This semester Ortiz is continuing his associate’s degree in nursing at Medical Campus, where he hopes to serve as SGA president next school year. 

“I’ve had to overcome a lot of stuff, but I didn’t do it by myself,” said Ortiz, who aspires to become an administrative or anesthetist nurse. “I do my best to honor that by helping out the next person.”

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