For three years as a UCLA undergraduate student, I was the drum major conducting the 250-member UCLA marching band with great fanfare in front of 75,000 people at the Rose Bowl. I became the first Korean American drum major in UCLA history. Majoring in international economics and Korean, I maintained a 3.6 grade point average and graduated a quarter early. This Fall, I will become a double Bruin attending the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs to obtain my Master’s in Public Policy (M.P.P.). I hope to analyze and implement public policies that will improve the welfare of our Los Angeles community. My parents brought me to California from South Korea at the age of 9. It seems like I’m the picture of the American immigrant success story. But it is more complicated than that. I’m facing the very real possibility of deportation.

   I didn’t know that I was undocumented until I was accepted into UCLA. That was when my father showed me a letter saying the family’s visa wasn’t valid. I stared at that letter feeling as if my world had turned upside down.

   Without immigration papers, I’m allowed to attend school in-state, but cannot legally work, drive or receive financial aid. I have slept on a friend’s couch, in a closet, or sometimes at the UCLA library. I also tutored SAT students 30 hours a week.

   Many people in my situation would keep a low profile hoping to avoid discovery. After learning about many other students in my shoes at UCLA, I chose to become a leader in raising awareness of the plight faced by so many similar young students — including many Asian Americans — and became an advocate for the DREAM Act. I have spoken out on campus and in the media on behalf of undocumented students like me who are seeking citizenship in the U.S.

   At first my parents discouraged me from speaking out, afraid of the attention. But with so many students trapped in a broken system just like me, I had to take action. I shared my story in front of hundreds of people and the media at the steps of the Los Angeles City Hall. I was so afraid of facing deportation that I wrote a will or a farewell letter to my friends and family the night before. Since then, I have been fortunate to share my story on CSPAN, CNN, the Huffington Post, WSJ, and White House Blog. While I take a risk each time I share my story, the greater risk is to remain silent.

   I was recently named one of 15 Freedom from Fear Award winners from around the country. It awards ordinary people who have committed extraordinary acts of courage on behalf of immigrants and refugees — individuals who have taken a risk, set an example, and inspired others to awareness or action.

   Award recipients come from a broad range of people from all over the political spectrum who are all involved in standing up for immigrant rights across the country — ranging from a former police chief from Phoenix, Arizona, a conservative immigrant from Columbia living in Utah, and a number of activists, students and undocumented immigrants.

   The Freedom from Fear Award takes its name from Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s famous “Four Freedoms” speech 70 years ago in which he outlined four fundamental freedoms that people “everywhere in the world” ought to enjoy: Freedom of speech and expression; Freedom of religion; Freedom from want; and Freedom from fear. These fundamental freedoms are just as important now as they were then.

   I am lucky to receive this award because I know there are hundreds of other deserving students. I believe all of us can stand up for what is right, such as basic human dignity for all people, including immigrants. I remain humble to receive this award on behalf of all people who fight for immigration reform.

   The Awards are particularly fitting on the 50th Anniversary of the Freedom Rides that helped dismantle segregation in the South, and on the heels of the Arab Spring which has shown the power of ordinary people overcoming their fear.

   I have risked deportation for me and my family. I graduated this spring and am now faced with limited job opportunities due to my immigration status. Still, I will continue to show my face and work with a number of college-aged students who speak to various groups, educating them on the plight of undocumented young people, and the need for immigration reform. My goal in this long journey is to change the perception of undocumented students; that we are not just latino/a, we contribute to our local community, and we love this great country.