Iowa State students and members of nearby communities gathered in support of DACA students at Iowa State.

About 130 people in total gathered for Iowa State’s second annual 5K for DACA, which aims to raise money to offer scholarships for DACA students at Iowa State.

DACA, which stands for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, began in 2012 and allows for individuals who entered the United States under the age of 16 to have a work permit in the United States for 2 years before having to reapply.

However, because of actions taken by the Trump administration, DACA’s future is currently uncertain, while an individual can still renew, DACA will not be able to accept new applicants for the foreseeable future.

Attendees gathered at around 7:30 a.m. to receive their shirts and register, and at 8 a.m., the runners took off, beginning in front of Curtiss Hall and running a course around campus which led them back to Curtiss, where they were met with granola bars, water and bananas.

Aylin Raymundo, junior in psychology, said that the event was formed with the goal of helping DACA students afford school, since they cannot apply for government aid.

Events like the 5K for DACA, Raymundo said, also show support for those who are affected by the current uncertain state of DACA.

“No matter how the media and our president now portray certain ethnic groups or individuals you do have a community here,” Raymundo said. “Especially with Iowa State being a predominately white institution we want to show people that you have somewhere to lean on.”

Raymundo was a volunteer coordinator for the event, which was a collaborative effort of the Society for Advancement of Hispanics/Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), the Multicultural Student Leadership Council, and the Latinx Student Leader Council.

Diana Echeverria, senior in supply chain management, was one of the volunteers who helped make sure runners stayed safe and on course while running and crossing intersections. Echeverria said she believes events like these are important community builders.

“It really creates a dynamic of community, the community that does exist here, and it brings more awareness that this is something we need to pay more attention to,” Echeverria said.

The creation of more scholarships for DACA students through the university, Echeverria said, was also something she would like to see, so that DACA students could have more options to receive financial aid.

“The University doesn’t provide scholarships for DACA students, so this is a way to support them,” Echeverria said, “I mean, it’s a little something, but it would be better to have more financial support for them; we’re all students we all have different backgrounds, and that’s really what Iowa State is about and should support, all of our students.”

José Candelario, an Iowa State alumus who graduated in 2018, said he returned to run Saturday in support of his friends.

“I have friends that actually are here with DACA, so it’s something that doesn’t affect me, but it affects people that I know,” Candelario said, “It’s an event that makes me think, ‘Hey, if I do this, I know the people I’m helping and I know their struggle’.”

As someone who plays soccer and ran in high school, Candelario said this event also draws him because running is something he loves and continues to do, but he said he would also like to see continued events that let people come together and show support for DACA.