Man who came to US as unaccompanied minor to graduate from Manhattanville College this weekend
Walter Morales, who goes by William, will be one of 284 Manhattanville College students graduating Saturday with a bachelor's degree.
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While immigration is a pressing issue, News 12 is profiling a Guatemalan man who came to the Hudson Valley as a teen unaccompanied and is now living his "American dream."
Walter Morales, who goes by William, will be one of 284 Manhattanville College students graduating Saturday with a bachelor's degree.
He is currently a custodian in the Bedford Hills School District and credits teachers there for encouraging and helping him on this academic journey.
When Morales arrived in the Hudson Valley in 2001 at 16 years old, he struggled to find a place to live and worked as a day laborer and dish washer.
He spoke about overcoming adversity to reach this lifelong dream.
"I was told that I wasn't smart enough, I was told that I couldn't do it by many people," says Morales. Morales will be continuing his education and hopes to achieve a master's degree by next May so he can become a Spanish teacher.
