ISSO San Diego was founded by Gloria Cruz. Gloria founded ISSO September 4th, 2005 at the San Diego Mesa College Campus. As a student Organization ISSO has maintained its student chapter at San Diego Mesa College and has extended its services to the greater community of San Diego. Immigration Student Support Organization serves as a mechanism for information sharing amongst undocumented students in San Diego. Gloria has been an activist for immigrant rights for twelve years. At her short age she has been able to mobilize students and allies for the rights of immigrant communities. She is a recipient and member of the Ephebic Society of Los Angeles. As a member of the Ephebic Society she commits to provide volunteering time to non-profit organizations. Gloria is also alumni of USC med-Cor Program where she excelled in the science field and promoted scientific research in the Latino community of Los Angeles. While living in the City of Los Angeles, she served as a member of Bienestar in East Los Angeles where she worked with gay youth. In her time as a member of Bienestar she facilitated support groups and advocated for resources for the youth. In 1999 she was able to bring an ambitious project to life. She wanted to bring a community Bienestar Clinic to her hometown of Wilmington California. In the year 2000 Bienestar opened its first clinic in Wilmington where she served as an advisor to the local youth group. While serving as an advisor to the local youth group she learned of the struggles of undocumented students. In the year 2004, Gloria moved to San Diego to continue her education. While attending San Diego Mesa College she was faced with the lack of resources for undocumented students. She decided to put together the resources she had for her students in Los Angeles and formed a student Organization at Mesa College. Since the creation of ISSO, hundreds of scholarships have been given to San Diego Residents. Other similar student organizations began to erupt in the San Diego County as a result of the tools brought by ISSO. Gloria Cruz is a proud leader in the student movement and hopes to bring change into the policies that affect members of her community. She is a proud founder of ISSO and recipient of a Bachelors Degree at San Diego State University in Political Science with a minor in history and Chicana/o Studies. She is a member of Education Without Borders at SDSU, where she helps offer support for AB-540 Students. She plans to work in community advocacy and pursue a career in Politics.
In her short 30 years of life, ISSO celebrates her commitment and dedication to underrepresented students.