Lehman College junior and Washington Heights resident Genill Reynoso, 19, shares the story of immigrant struggle in her award-winning essay "Sin Nombre" ("Without a Name").

Growing up in a family that immigrated from the Dominican Republic, Genill Reynoso had firsthand experience in writing an award-winning essay titled "Sin Nombre," which literally translates to "without name" but also means undocumented, which took third-prize in the nonfiction category at the "Making Labor's History Visible" contest held at Lehman College in the Bronx last month.

In her essay, Reynoso tells the story of an undocumented Dominican immigrant and the struggles she faces living in the United States. "Sin Nombre" shows the difficulty and the numerous obstacles she faces in order to work and be successful.

"The focus of this contest was to create a social movement for change and equality," said Reynoso, a college junior currently majoring in social work. "I learned that immigration is not just an issue affecting the Hispanic population. It's a hot topic for many families, and many of them are dealing with the same issues. It's a cross-cultural problem."

Growing up on West 193rd Street in Washington Heights, Reynoso said she was aware of the hardships her family faced as immigrants. This led to an emotional experience as she heard echoes of her life while she interviewed and wrote about her subject's family.

"It's a very complex issue and it really takes a toll on the family and those directly involved. It becomes a life-changing situation," said Reynoso. She had taken a Lehman College course on immigration and citizenship, which helped her understand larger issues surrounding immigration.

Reynoso is looking forward to graduating next summer and said she might set her sights on nursing school. Winning entries will be featured at LaborArts.org celebrating artistic and cultural heritage of the labor movement and working people.