For most high school students, this time of the year is very exciting. Many have received their college acceptance letters and are preparing for the four-year journey that awaits them.

They're excited about everything from what dorm room décor to purchase to what new friends they will make.

This time last year, UT freshman Hajie Sesay recalls having these feelings, but cannot help but reminisce on what he could have been faced with, like so many other foreign students living in the U.S.

U.S. students have fewer obstacles to overcome than immigrant students when seeking an education.

“Here you can come from the bottom up. You can make it. As a foreigner, I think the American dream can be realized,” Hajie Sesay, UT student Sesay, 18, moved to the U.S. from West Africa eight years ago. At only 11 years old, he did not know what to expect.

“Coming to the United States is different,” Sesay said. ”The things that you value here and the things that you value there is so different.”

He is thankful for the opportunities he has here in the U.S. After completing high school, he has not wasted any time taking advantage of those opportunities.

Sesay is now attending UT, triple majoring in political science, Africana studies and global studies, with a minor in French.

Sesay knows the need for legislation to help immigrants that are not as fortunate as he was. According to US Today, states deny in-state tuition benefits or ban “undocumented students,” making it harder for immigrants that are not U.S. citizens to pursue higher education.

“I have a friend of mine in high school, smart kid, highly motivated, but he’s not in college.  I’m in college because I have my green card,” Sesay said. “I’ll tell you he’s a smart kid, hard working, stay out of crime, he works hard in school. And then, you have kids that are not putting the same effort, but because they have their papers, they can attend college.”

According to the U.S. Immigration Support website, a green card is an essential identification card allowing immigrants permanent residency but not citizenship.

The “American Dream” for a lot of Americans is nothing more than a cliché. For immigrants, this “cliché” is more than just a mere saying.

“The American dream for immigrants is just a life [of] freedom and opportunity,” Sesay said. “Here you can come from the bottom up.  You can make it.  As a foreigner, I think the American dream can be realized.”