Photos by Ralph Freso
Karla Cardenas was 23 when she brought her infant daughter to the U.S.
“We came from Mexico 20 years ago. I was 6 months old. Just me and my mom,” that daughter, Danna Hernandez Cardenas, said recently. “She decided to take the journey to live a better life.”
Mother and daughter became a team. Karla cleaned homes in the Valley while Danna grew up to eventually help her with the business end and excel as an Independence High School student in Glendale, Arizona.
She couldn’t imagine that one day she would be a scholarship student at a private university just 15 minutes down the road, Grand Canyon University, and turn that into big opportunities.
“I am a Dreamer,” Danna Hernandez Cardenas said of the name for undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children. “This is a dream come true as a first-generation student.”
This summer, Cardenas carried the Mexican flag as the national anthem played into State Farm Stadium, where a team from Mexico and several other countries played in Copa América, a major international soccer tournament. The sports psychology major heard about the opportunity through GCU’s Sports and Entertainment Business Club.
“I walked in with the athletes, and you could just feel the excitement,” she said. “I was proud to be representing my country.”
That wasn’t all. She also served as in intern with USA Baseball for six weeks, leading safety presentations for the 100 teams who played in its 14U-17U tournament. And now she’s slated to begin another internship for the game day operations of the Arizona Cardinals in September.
She said she got a push from GCU to do what she once thought improbable.
After a knee injury playing high school soccer, Cardenas lost what had always “been a way for me to be who I am.” The struggle after her injury, both mental and physical, led to an interest in trying to help others come back from injury.
So after she earned a Students Inspiring Students scholarship from GCU in 2021, she began a major in sports psychology.
“Athletes not only go through injuries but have real life issues,” she said. “I feel like a lot of people think sports is 90% physical and 10% mental, but it’s the other way around.”
You should never stop chasing your dreams, and even despite obstacles, you feel like there is always a light at the end of the tunnel and anything is possible.”
Danna Hernandez Cardenas
There is a growing acceptance of addressing mental health issues, she said, and talking to family members, coaches or a therapist is important, instead of suppressing their feelings.
Cardenas faced her own struggle with confidence and anxiety over her immigration status. She said she was only two weeks from getting her work visa when the past administration paused the program, which is now temporary.
“I felt like I couldn’t receive these opportunities because I am a Dreamer, because I wasn’t born here. Also, I know sports business is very competitive, not just locally but all over the country, it’s rare to get those internships,” she said.
But encouragement came in full force from Cinthia Monge, scholarship program manager for GCU’s Canyon Rising scholarships and TheDream.US scholarships for undocumented or Deferred Action of Childhood Arrivals.
“They pushed me to reach my dreams. Without that push, I wouldn’t have got these opportunities,” said Cardenas, who this fall is one of 204 TheDream.US scholars at GCU, a partner scholarship with the national organization that offers full tuition and course fee scholarships.
“It's quite common for undocumented students to feel uncertain about pursuing internships and other professional opportunities due to their immigration status,” Monge said. “These uncertainties can stem from a variety of factors, including fear of discrimination, uncertainty about legal work eligibility and a general sense of not belonging in these opportunities in the same way as their peers.”
But Monge counters those fears and shares triumphs of others that come through the program.
Cardenas soon landed an internship at USA Baseball and helped with athletic safety at spring training venues in Peoria and Surprise during its national tournaments for 14U-17U teams, focusing on seminars for coaches on harassment, bullying, proper player privacy and contact with athletes.
While making contacts at USA Baseball, she heard about the internship for the Arizona Cardinals, which she will do during her upcoming senior year.
“I thank God for opening doors. Not a lot of people have these opportunities, so it feels like a blessing,” she said. “It shows me I can keep reaching for my goals. You should never stop chasing your dreams, and even despite obstacles, you feel like there is always a light at the end of the tunnel and anything is possible.”
Cardenas often thinks how far she and her mother have come, as Karla’s Cleaning Services thrives and she works aside scholars and professional athletes.
“My mom always tells me in Spanish – what are the words? – She thanks God we are reaching our dreams now,” she said.
Grand Canyon University senior writer Mike Kilen can be reached at [email protected]
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