Aliento Features: Oselem Amachree
My name is Oselem Amachree, a senior at Arizona State University, and I will be taking you on my journey as a Fellow at Aliento. My journey began one random day in July, during summer break.
I saw an email from my scholarship advisor, providing resources for students like me. I looked at the email and saw the PAID Aliento Fellowship with a stipend of up to $4,000. I had previously known about Aliento from my brother Sonary, who was an intern there, and he had a great experience there, so I was already hooked. I was looking forward to being a part of something bigger than myself. Also, at the time, I wanted to keep busy because I was struggling a lot with my mental health. Growing up in a religious Christian home, I remember I wrote this exact prayer down in my Notes app on July 9th, 2024. I said that I wanted “A good job where I feel loved and appreciated and don’t feel miserable.” I did not know to the full extent what I was signing up for, but I did it anyway, and I’m so pleased with the outcome.
On August 1st, 2024, I got an email from Abril saying, “Congratulations! On behalf of Aliento, we would like to offer you a place in Aliento Arizona’s Future Fellowship Program.” I was in shock because I applied, not knowing if my application was good enough to be considered or accepted. Once I got over the initial shock, then fear came because as someone who has never been open about my status and even spoken on matters concerning immigration, I was not used to the work required to be in the fellowship, after prayers and encouragement from my family, I signed the contract and began the Fellowship officially on August 15th.
On Orientation day, I remember being so nervous to be in a space where I did not know anybody, but I felt so welcomed by Abril and Lupe. Eventually, I started to warm up a bit after writing my story of self and sharing it with one of the Fellows, Karen. That was the first time I had ever shared my story with anyone outside of my family. It was not difficult for me, and in a way, it healed a part of me that had held this secret in for years. It was such a heavy burden that I carried, and it affected the way I was towards relationships with people, never wanting people to know too much about me. However, this fellowship and being surrounded by such amazing people who either shared the same story or the same sentiments as me made me feel so comfortable and seen. I always say the fellowship cohort meetings became a form of therapy for me; they healed that little girl who always felt alone and was searching for a sense of belonging.
During the 2024 election, I experienced a lot of character development. The once quiet STEM girl who did not talk about politics was outspoken, especially on a topic she cared so much about, encouraging and advising people to vote “No” on Proposition 314. The campaign process included Canvassing, Phone banking, and holding informative events on campus. I started Phone Banking, and while it seems pretty easy for most, it was hard at first for me, especially for someone who sometimes has phone anxiety, barely calls anyone, and prefers texting. My first experience phone-banking was a voter raising their voice at me. I had to learn how to be direct, address the topic at hand, and continue the conversation in hopes that they would get the message and be informed on what is happening in the community. I started with very few phone calls during each Phone Banking Session, to over 40 calls per session in the end.
Then I started canvassing, which was also nerve-wracking, going door to door to people’s homes and informing them to vote no on Prop 314. Surprisingly, I found canvassing easier, but most days it was hot. All the hours of walking and sweating paid off with the number of people we reached. Even though the Proposition still passed, I'm glad to have known that we informed many people. Knowing there are still people who care and are willing to advocate for change was enough takeaway for me during this election period.
Additionally, I also got to work with some of the fellows individually, and we learned so much about one another and built such great relationships. Watching each of them work, I was also able to develop good communication and advocacy skills. This also helped me during our Phone Banking Events on the ASU campus by pushing me out of my comfort zone and reaching out to people to get involved. I was able to reach so many people, and my friends who I did not think would care about topics like this, but they were in so much support of it and got involved even in Education Day at the Arizona Capitol.
Education Day at the Capitol was a huge step in my journey at Aliento. Though I was comfortable sharing my story amongst the Aliento Fellows, I was not so comfortable with sharing it outside of the cohort meetings because I did not think people would understand or be receptive to my story. I found it easier to tell it to people who could relate or know people in similar situations. However, since we were encouraged to bring 10 students to the E-Day meetings, I thought it would be important to let them know more about me and why this topic is so important to me. Friends that I’ve had since I was seven years old did not know my story at all, much less my status. Once they agreed to come to E-Day, I knew this was my incentive to tell them. I sent them my story of self, and I remember that after emailing it to them, I cried. It felt like so much weight had been lifted off my shoulders, and I could finally breathe. Their responses were so heartwarming and healing for me because they encouraged me to continue to tell my story. After all, I was a voice for many. When they came to the AZ Capitol, it was a great experience for all of us because we had never been to that level of actually speaking to lawmakers. My best friends Nonso and Rachel were so proud of me for telling my story, and they were so grateful for the experience and excited to be more involved in events like this.
This Fellowship, Cohort 7 specifically, has helped me grow and expand my abilities in ways I did not think were possible. As a STEM major, I got to learn a lot of new things about laws and bills, and the process of how they get made and passed. It showed me how storytelling can start the change that is necessary and how it turns into action if just one legislator hears my story. Most importantly, it showed me the people who would be by my side even during tough times, such as the peaceful rally held at ASU by Aliento, which encouraged the school to protect all students regardless of immigration status.
As this Fellowship comes to a close, I will be graduating from Arizona State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences, and with my degree, I plan to pursue further education in Physician Assistant School.
