Jan Heli Bautista (Queens College ’23)
Jan Heli Bautista is a Queens College graduate deeply committed to community advocacy and organizing. He is dedicated to empowering marginalized immigrant communities through education. He also aspires to become a college professor who applies his knowledge and experiences to instill a positive change for future generations.
Jan speaks about his experiences at CUNY and the ways a campaign like OpportunityForAll would impact CUNY student access to professional opportunities:
Q: Can you describe the ways you’ve navigated securing internships and other opportunities? What were the challenges? Did it align with your future goals/ career?
A: I navigated internships and opportunities mostly by networking, it was difficult to find internships/opportunities that hold my status as eligble. Much of the time I had to advocate myself in front of others for them to justify the possibility of even letting me apply to an internship or opportunity. One of the bigger challenges securing internships/opportunities was having the proper forms or paperwork such an ITIN or W-9. I would say that the opportunities I've taken and the internships I've been part of have aligned well enough with my goals/career.
Q: What was job searching/ the hiring process like for you? How transparent were staff/employers surrounding eligibility and status?A: Job searching in college didn't really exist for me. I worked part time at times in my college career through family connections and under the table options. Job searching after college searching also wasn't a reliable option for me. I basically advocated for myself, my business (contracting), and my own skillset in spaces I'm familiar with. I've always been transparent about my eligibility and status.
Q: How would a campaign like the OpportunitiesForAll impact you? Is this something you’d recommend to other undocumented students
A : An OpportuntiesForAll would provide me better job accesibility with the very institution I graduated from. Having less barriers to work within CUNY would be desirable for many undocumented students, therefore I'd very much recommend it.
Q: In what ways do you envision CUNY’s role in this campaign? What types of support/resources would you demand?
A: I would like to see CUNY play a pivotal role in establishing equity to anyone who benefits from Opportunities 4All. CUNY should support and endorse Opportunities 4all in any way possible.