Journeys

Scarly

I was invited by the folks at Wattpad HQ to sneak preview a new docu-series called "Secret Lives of Americans." The premise is that the show's subjects reveal their deepest secrets on-camera and to the most important people in their lives, shedding light on broader social issues. Having a few secrets of my own, I chomped at the bit. Secret Lives of Americans airs Fridays at 10:30pm ET/PT only on Pivot TV – make sure to tune in.

"Some people hide deep secrets that if revealed will change lives."

The theme of this show is secrets - not little secrets or private dreams - but deep secrets that have real power. Sharing that kind of secret, whether with a friend or family member or a blinking camera light, is an incredibly scary prospect. So whatever else you might think about the subjects in Secret Lives of Americans, you have to admire them for their bravery. They've shared their secrets with the world - at great personal risk - because they believe in something bigger than themselves. That takes guts.

We meet Scarly in what looks like her bedroom just as she sets up the video camera. All of the subjects in Secret Lives take the footage themselves throughout their journeys - there's no hiding from the camera. The first thing I notice about Scarly is her black hipster glasses frames that look fantastic on her, but I could never pull off. She looks like someone who is smart, confident and cool - and she is. She tells us she's a current full-time student at a local community college in California. She has lots of friends - and we see the proof as her many girlfriends primp in front of the camera, wave hello, and dance under club lights.

She looks like the picture of American college student life.

Education is extremely important to Scarly. "Education is knowledge," she says. She loves school, not only because she wants to be educated, but because she wants to be able to support her parents one day. She's worked hard since childhood to be a good student and get good grades, all so that she could get into a good college.

It was during the process of applying for college that Scarly discovered her secret...a secret that, as she puts it, "shouldn't be a secret." In class, Scarly was handed out the form for FAFSA - which stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid - to determine her eligibility for financial aid towards college tuition. Thinking nothing of it, she asked her mother for her social security number so she could compete the form.

"You don't have a social security number," her mother told her.

And that's how Scarly learned she was an undocumented person - one of 11 million undocumented immigrants across the U.S. She knew that she wasn't born in the U.S., but since she lived her whole life in America, it never occurred to her she wasn't an American citizen.

Scarly was born in Mexico, but she wasn't raised there. Her parents brought over Scarly and her two siblings when she was only three years old. They came to America because they wanted to make a better life for their family.

When Scarly found out she was undocumented, she knew that her dreams of college were over. There would be no financial aid to pay for her education, and at any point, she could be deported. It didn't matter that her grades were solid or that she had a pristine record; she was going nowhere without a piece of paper that said she was American.

Scarly brings up a legislative proposal called the DREAM Act, which she first heard about in high school. In a nutshell, the DREAM Act would grant undocumented immigrants who have completed high school a 6-year temporary residency. If, in those 6 years, they complete 2 years of college or 2 years of military service, they would be put on a path to full citizenship. The beneficiaries, nicknamed "Dreamers" would have access to the same scholarships and financial aid as American citizens.