Earlier this year Pearson Education hired us to tell Ricardo’s story. Like nearly 800,000 other young people, Ricardo, a student activist, is protected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program—an executive order put into effect by President Obama in 2012, and rescinded by the Trump administration this week.

In the film, we learn about Ricardo’s harrowing journey crossing the border as a child, the sacrifices his family have made and his dreams of becoming a lawyer to fight for opportunities for those in similar circumstances to his own. 

Pearson released “Ricardo’s Story” over Labor Day weekend as an accompaniment to their signature on the FWD.us letter from Leaders of American Industry calling for President Trump to preserve the DACA program. 

In a powerful memo, Pearson’s CEO, John Fallon, announced that the company is standing with DREAMers as it believes, “everyone deserves access to a quality education and the opportunity to work and build a better life for their families.” 

We couldn't agree more. 

At Blue Chalk, we value education as the cornerstone of a functioning democratic society. We stand with Pearson and all of the individuals and organizations speaking out in defense of Ricardo and his nearly 800,000 peers.  

We spoke with Ricardo following the announcement that the DACA program had ended. He said, "We will get through this. We’re determined and ready." He urged those affected to make sure they are caring for themselves and their family members and to keep the conversation going by reaching out to others. 

Ricardo is the first in a series of marketing videos we created for Pearson about the importance of education.

If you, or anyone you know, has been impacted by the DACA decision and are looking for ways to help, you can find resources here: weareheretostay.org.