Note: Athena Jones is an home care worker and Grassroots Lobbyist through SEIU's Change That Works campaign.

Students file in wearing colors mixed like an unsolved Rubik's cube--some wearing chords representing achievement and honors. Friends straighten each other's caps. The rainbow of the march is accompanied by a violin and the pomp and circumstances of cameras flashing. As smiles of achievement shine, each student's hard work and the pride of a family is represented with a cap and gown.

You would not notice or look twice at the needs of these high achievers. Each representing the overtaking of a struggle, brandished with the hopes of the Dream.

Onlookers could never have imagined Tuesday's commencement speech to be anything more than a student talking about bridging gaps to adulthood or hoping for the 10 year reunion. As she began to speak - I'll call her Anna - Anna spoke of her graduating from high school with honors and successfully completing college with a double major in biology and psychology. Her parents spoke to her of the hope, of education and the Dream of what America could be. She was the product of undocumented parents. They brought her here under the cover of a better future when she was eight, and she too was undocumented. Anna began to tell of the hurt she felt towards the only country she knew and the many opportunities lost because she does not have a 9 digit number assigned to her name.

Anna is a high achieving, college-educated student with honors. The U.S. government saw her as an illegal immigrant worthy of nothing better than being deported. Her undocumented status shadowed her amazing credentials. I imagine she never knew, regardless of her academic success, her ultimate diploma would be a letter of deportation.

Washington, DC --Today, with the U.S. Capitol's Statue of Freedom reaching to the sky behind them, more than 500 students from across the country took part in a symbolic graduation ceremony to urge Congress to support our nation's future leaders by passing the DREAM Act. The National DREAM Graduation ceremony was hosted by labor organizations like SEIU, education, faith, business, immigrant and civil rights groups through the United We Dream Coalition.

"SEIU congratulates these brave valedictorians, honor students, class presidents and future leaders who have come to Washington seeking reason and compassion so they can achieve their dreams," said SEIU Executive Vice President Eliseo Medina. "These high-achieving students want nothing more than the opportunity to serve their country and build a stronger America. It's time to open the doors of opportunity and pass the DREAM Act."

"The event highlighted the countless future nurses, leaders, teachers, military heroes and inventors of the next great technological or medical breakthrough who are denied the chance to contribute to building a stronger America because Congress has not passed the DREAM Act. After the ceremony, the students joined other immigration, faith and community leaders to talk one-on-one with members of Congress about the need to pass the DREAM Act this year.

"America became a great country because we gave opportunities to hard working newcomers and those willing to sacrifice for a dream. All these DREAMers ask is to be allowed to make their story part of the American story. SEIU's 2 million members strongly support the DREAM Act because if you work hard you should have the chance to make a difference and make the world a better place," concluded Medina.

The DREAM Act, introduced into the House and Senate on March 26, would correct a flaw in our immigration laws that provide no path to legal status for young people who were brought to the U.S. years ago as undocumented immigrant children through no fault of their own. For high school graduates who continue on to college or military service, the DREAM Act would provide a pathway to legal residency.