Last year, this teen saw his parents arrested by ICE. This year, he's headed to Stanford.

Campus view of Hoover Tower at Stanford University. Campus view of Hoover Tower at Stanford University. Photo: Mark Miller Photos, Getty Images Photo: Mark Miller Photos, Getty Images Image 1 of / 30 Caption Close Last year, this teen saw his parents arrested by ICE. This year, he's headed to Stanford. 1 / 30 Back to Gallery

In May 2017, a California teen named Luis Duarte, along with his older brother and twin sisters, watched helplessly as their parents were arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents in National City near San Diego.

But a year later, with the help of an essay inspired by the ordeal, Duarte has been accepted to attend Stanford University.

Last year, his father Francisco had left the house on an ordinary Tuesday morning to buy a newspaper at a convenience store next door. He was apprehended and arrested by Border Patrol and then escorted to an unmarked SUV. When Duarte's mother, Rosenda Perez, walked outside to see what was going on, she was also arrested.

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The couple, who have an ice cream business, were held by ICE for 23 days, leaving Duarte, then 17, and his 19-year-old brother (also named Francisco), along with their 12-year-old twin sisters to take care of themselves, according to the local NBC affiliate. A GoFundMe was created to help the siblings with expenses while the parents were in custody.

As NBC San Diego reports, the episode inspired Duarte's college application essay to Stanford. It was successful.

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"What we went through, it's not an excuse [to give up]," Perez told Telemundo. "To the contrary, it's about getting up and shake it off and try harder."

Duarte's parents' case is still in progress, but they are out of custody and they no longer have to wear ankle monitors. As Duarte told Telemundo, that means a lot for him.

"The first thing I did [when I got accepted] was call my mom," Duarte said. "I feel very fortunate to now have my parents with me."

Alyssa Pereira is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at apereira@sfchronicle.com or find her on Twitter at @alyspereira.

