José Luis is the son of parents who didn’t go beyond elementary school. Ever mindful of his roots, he and wife Lisa have endowed a scholarship for undocumented students at their alma mater. “The roadblocks for students, particularly dreamers, are so much greater than they were before,” says José Luis.

Lisa’s parents had to leave everything behind in Cuba to come to the United States. “These students manage to flourish in the most difficult of circumstances,” she says of undocumented students, noting that they often are the most in need of financial aid. “Rather than deporting them, we should be appreciating their contributions.”

The couple doubled their scholarship’s endowment, and they hope to serve as models for other UC Berkeley alums to give back.

“It’s a small amount of money,” José Luis says. “It’s the symbolism that somebody thinks you are worth giving money to. ‘You’re valued. You belong here. You’re part of the community here.’”