It’s graduation season, and at Desert Hot Springs High School, a young teenager originally from Mexico who spent several months detained by border authorities is preparing to receive his diploma next month.
Hugo Uriostegui Apolinar is counting down the days until his graduation ceremony on June 22. The 19-year-old says he is overwhelmed with emotions.
“It’s something I never imagined I could achieve, as I’m the first person in my family to achieve it, and even more so here in this country,” Apolinar said.
His path to academic success has been paved with many obstacles.
Apolinar arrived from Mexico in March 2022 and wasted no time in starting his studies when he could.
“Sometimes I was sad because there were people who only speak English and you feel bad,” Apolinar said.
His language problems weren’t the only obstacle he would face this school year.
Apolinar shares that when he crossed the border seeking political asylum, he was detained because the authorities thought he was older than he really was.
“I was dying to see my family, hug them, at least see them on video,” Apolinar said.
While studying, Hugo was also faced with unpleasant memories of where he was detained for almost half a year. He was detained in Texas for two months, then in a juvenile facility in Arizona. Amid the threat of deportation, Apolinar received the good news that his brother had asked him to come and live in California.
“I was there for a while, they told me they were going to join me with my family, but I thought it was going to be with my family from Mexico,” Apolinar said.
At Desert Hot Springs High School, the student from Morelos, Mexico vowed to do whatever it took to graduate.
With the help of classmates and teachers, Apolinar was able to complete his classes, which were mostly taught in English. And through football he was able to gradually overcome his fear of speaking English.
“I’m not afraid anymore when people talk to me, I already talk to them, I have friends who talk to them in English,” said Apolinar.
And as his political asylum case moves through the system, he remains hopeful that this country will become his forever home.
“I would say that I don’t have the opportunities like here because life in Mexico is very difficult,” he said.
The youngster says he misses his parents and thanks all the teachers at Desert Hot Springs High School who have supported him.
Check out Marco Revuelta’s report on Hugo Uriostegui Apolinar for Telemundo
