Karla Mercado was 11 years old in 2012 when she saw President Barack Obama on TV announce the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Mercado is 19 now and a college student in Virginia. She is a newcomer to DACA—or at least she hopes to be.

Mercado is also part of a new generation of undocumented people who qualified for DACA during the Trump administration, which fought against the program. Now, they're relying on President Joe Biden to secure their future.

After a year upended by the pandemic, six high school graduates from around the United States spoke to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona about their hopes for the future of education. On their minds were issues like the digital divide, racial justice, and the challenges facing undocumented students.

From Brownsville, Tennessee, to the Bronx in New York City, they offered Cardona a window into their lives as students. They also challenged him about the ways schools are falling short in their communities—and possible solutions for change.

During the pandemic, Idaho colleges and universities have struggled to recruit students from several key demographics: in-state students, rural students, students from low-income households, and students of color.

Vaccines could help Idaho’s college campuses move past the pandemic. More face-to-face classes, fewer Zoom sessions. More events and activities, fewer health protocols. More predictability, less uncertainty. But even if campuses return to normal this fall, that doesn’t mean students will return to campus.