Linda Quintanar, director of Volunteers in Partnership and First-Generation Initiatives, began at the University of Denver as an undergraduate Spanish and international business student. She then went on to get her master’s at the Sturm College of Law in science and legal administration. 

“There was less diversity when I was a student. There was no MGC (Multicultural Greek Council). There were some of the affinity groups organizations that are still around like BSA, LSA,” Quintanar said. 

She mentioned that during her time in grad school, she had to find community and engagement by seeking out events on campus.

DACA, or Deferred Actions for Childhood Arrivals, came into effect in the summer of 2012. The University of Denver previously did not have a position that was responsible for supporting undocumented and DACA students. 

There was an individual on Quintanar’s team who took on the initiative of a student group to support and guide DACA and undocumented students. Around this same time, Quintanar attended the Keeping the Dream Alive conference on the Auraria campus and joined the planning committee. This conference’s purpose was to provide resources for DACA and undocumented students. 

Quintanar and her co-workers invited the Keeping the Dream Alive to come host at the University of Denver, and they have been hosting for many years since then. This opened a door of networking and community from educators in Colorado to high schoolers and their families. 

“It kept growing and every year we had more participation,” Quintanar said. 

Keeping the Dream Alive is no longer running, but it has rebranded as Undocu Resource Day here at the University of Denver.

There were eventually changes in the law that impacted the students Quintanar was working with. 

“I think due to those legal changes and challenges that students faced, the university realized that there was a need to support the committee,” Quintanar said.  

Her job position was soon “redrafted” to highlight her role in supporting undocumented students. One of the things born out of that was DACA/Undocu Week. 

“We’ve been doing that celebration since a year after DACA came into effect,” Quintanar said. 

Quintanar states that DACA/Undocu Week is meant to “…celebrate our DACA and undocumented students and build a community around them, to find resources around campus and in the community.”

Immigration has also played a big role in Quintanar’s career choice as it has affected her family. 

“I immigrated to this country. I was born and raised in Mexico. I know some of the barriers that the community faces by experience,” she said. 

Outside of her work with DU, Quintanar works with the Denver Public Schools and Aurora Public School districts. DPS is actually how she got her admission to DU. 

This happened through a partnership about 30 years ago between DU and West High School, her alma mater. It grew into the Volunteers in Partnership Program or VIP, which partners with nine high schools in total — seven DPS schools, Hinkley High School in Aurora and Pinnacle Charter School. Through the VIP Program, these nine schools get access to college readiness, campus tours and early connection to the University of Denver. 

“It’s not just a program or community but it’s also a family. We’re here to lean on each other and support each other,” Quintanar said, “I just hope that students have the experience here where they find it impactful.”