She was born on a naval air base to parents who were serving in the U.S. Navy. Being career military, the family moved frequently which meant that Donna went to many different schools. Despite those challenges, Donna, her younger sister and parents were a tight knit family. Her parents had strong work ethics, adventurous spirits and were willing to go where their ideas took them.   

Growing up, Donna recalls having round table discussions over dinner in which the family talked about general politics and things going on in their community. While her parents talked about political issues, they rarely discussed political parties. Later, she came to believe they were registered Republicans. “I would call them ‘Eisenhower Republicans’ and I think they would probably be appalled by some of the things the Republican Party is all about today,” says Clontz. 

For most of her young 24 years, Astrid Silva lived in fear of being deported back to Mexico. Last week, after living in the shadows of the only country she has ever known, Astrid proudly filed her DACA papers and is beginning to live out her own big dreams.  

UPDATE October 8, 2012: The video at the bottom of this article was added. 

Born in Durango, Mexico, Astrid and her mother came to the states when she was four years old. Her father had already been here for more than two years, preparing the way for their arrival. After living in Los Angeles for a year, the family moved to Nevada where a landscaping job was awaiting her father. He continues to work as an irrigation technician to this day. Her mother stayed at home with she and her brother but baby sat and cleaned houses when she could.

Not exactly the glamorous life.