Автор: Даніель Готьє

Kubana Alexis joined the International Institute of New England in 2018 as a Skills Training Specialist. Today, he is the Associate Director, Workforce Initiatives, managing and innovating our job skills training programs. Kubana discussed his journey from client to employee at IINE, his advice for prospective IINE employees, and how he enjoys spending his free time.  

Що привело вас до Міжнародного інституту Нової Англії?

I came to IINE as a client in 2017. I was resettled here as a refugee after living in Uganda for thirteen years. I had worked with refugees for around nine years before that, and I was passionate about continuing that work no matter what. In the beginning, it wasn’t easy. I did a year of service as a Commonwealth Corp member. I oversaw sourcing and recruiting volunteers to support education, skills training, and career coaching programs, and expanding the organization’s volunteer outreach systems. In 2018, my year of service ended, and I started to look for a new job. I wanted to stay in the U.S. and be an inspiration to others. Coming here as a refugee, you have a lot of expectations for yourself. It can be hard to fulfill them. I was determined.  

Throughout the year, I stayed in touch with my caseworker at IINE. They offered me a job as a Skills Training Specialist. I wanted people to see that IINE can resettle you, and you can work for them, too.  

It’s been five years since you first joined IINE as an employee. Congrats on the work anniversary! How has your role evolved over time? 

As a Skills Training Specialist, I focused on coordinating skills training programs and training clients. In 2019, I was promoted to Training Manager, and I continued that work until 2021. Then I was promoted to Associate Director, Workforce Initiatives. In this new role, I have expanded our existing skills training programs and implemented new initiatives.  

Can you tell us more about these new initiatives? 

Sure, let me share two in particular. One of the first new programs we piloted was a professional development course across our three sites (Boston and Lowell, Massachusetts, and Manchester, New Hampshire). The course was designed for a range of English language levels, from immigrants who are still beginners to those who are very advanced. Many of our clients are highly educated and had successful careers in their home countries. I wanted to design a course that would help them find good jobs in the U.S. too. We cover topics like professionalism & soft skills, customer service, professional email etiquette, transferable skills, teamwork/collaboration, professional resume and cover letter writing, job search strategies, mock interviews, professionalism/work ethics, and salary negotiations. Five individuals just successfully completed the course, and we are running the next cohort soon! 

Another program I have led us in piloting is called SelfCorps. With this program, we want to make sure that we don’t just support our clients in getting jobs, but also in integrating into their communities. When we come to work, we bring our issues from our homes and communities with us. People are dealing with mental health issues, financial issues, police reform, etc. I want to help people balance their personal lives and work and to connect with resources in their communities. So, that’s the focus of the program.  

You definitely keep busy! What does your day-to-day look like? 

Every day is different. Right now, I’m very involved in community engagement, so I’m working closely with external partners, attending conferences, and setting up meetings about recruitment and training, etc. That might be my Monday, and then on Tuesday, I’m working on a grant proposal. Wednesday, I’m working on budgeting. It’s always changing! 

I also try to work across our three sites, so I can collaborate with our different teams – whether that’s discussing our programs with a career navigator, talking with marketing about how to promote our programs, or collaborating with HR to think about recruitment and outreach. I am always looking to see where I can be most useful; I want to support wherever I can.  

What aspect of your role do you enjoy most? 

I enjoy being able to advocate for our clients. They have inspiring stories to share.  

I also enjoy highlighting the work we are doing to support them. I’m proud to say that IINE has served 7,000 refugees and immigrants this year. That takes a lot of work and a lot of courage. We have an amazing team.  

What advice would you share with someone who is interested in joining IINE? 

Be flexible and open to change. The staff at IINE is a welcoming community. They want to support and teach you, and you have to be willing to support them and learn, too.  

All of us are working towards a common goal – to support refugees and immigrants and make their lives better. Believe in the mission, and you will be fulfilled here.  

Bonus: Share something about yourself that people might be interested to know. 

I’m very social! I like being with people, listening to music and dancing together. I am also a crazy sports fan. I love soccer and basketball. I call myself a Bostonian; go Boston Celtics!

Бажаєте приєднатися до нашої команди? Наше спільне, командно-орієнтоване середовище пропонує можливості служити біженцям та іммігрантам, навчаючись у інших співробітників та відділів. Переглянути кар'єрні можливості тут.

Since joining us in 2021, Courtney has held multiple roles, including working directly with our refugee and immigrant clients and now, recruiting new staff members as part of our HR team. Courtney shared what first drew her to our organization, what her day to day looks like, and the advice she would share with prospective IINE employees.

Що привело вас до Міжнародного інституту Нової Англії?

During my Masters, I learned about the United Nations and the rights of refugees and asylum seekers. My dissertation focused on the changes in cultural, indigenous, and ethnic identities of Latin Americans whose asylum applications were rejected or who were deported at the U.S.-Mexican border. After learning more about asylum seekers and law, I decided I wanted to work with refugees and asylees and gain first-hand experience in supporting new arrivals.

What has been your career path since joining the organization? 

When I first joined the organization in August 2021, I was the Preferred Communities Case Specialist at the Manchester site. I worked directly with clients who had vulnerabilities that prevented them from easy resettlement, including HIV+ status, Class B health conditions, domestic violence, mental health diagnoses, and homelessness. In February 2022, I was promoted to the role of Community Services Manager at the Manchester site. In this role, I supervised the delivery of client services to support clients accomplish self-sufficiency and managed all community services programs at the Manchester site. Recently, I transitioned to the HR team as Talent Acquisition Specialist. I have been in this role since March 2023, where I have been able to support the recruitment and hiring of all full-time, part-time, and on-call staff, as well as supporting the IINE internship program.

What does your day to day look like? 

Working for the HR team, my work expands across all sites. On a typical day, I can expect to meet with hiring managers about job postings, support with posting jobs to open job boards, screen candidates for paid or internship positions, schedule interviews on behalf of hiring managers, and support with offer letters and onboarding processes.

What do you enjoy most about your role?

I enjoy being able to support the organization as a whole in bringing on new team members and interns, expanding our reach to clients and our mission!

How would you describe IINE’s culture and values?

IINE is a diverse work environment where colleagues work together to support its clients in being successful. IINE values its mission to support the resettlement and journey to self-sufficiency for its clients and ensures support along each step of the pathways to self-sufficiency and citizenship. Overall, IINE has a collaborative environment where community is built within staff and with our clients.

What advice would you share with someone who is interested in joining IINE?

Remain willing to learn and open to new experiences! Being open to learning will support your professional development skills and allow you room to grow within IINE. For those who want to work with clients, remember that clients can be our best teachers of cultural and religious practices, language skills, and community.

Bonus: Share something you are passionate about. 

A passion of mine is learning about archeology and paleontology; my goal is to one day attend an archaeology field school or go on a trip to participate in an archeological or paleontology dig!

Бажаєте приєднатися до нашої команди? Наше спільне, командно-орієнтоване середовище пропонує можливості служити біженцям та іммігрантам, навчаючись у інших співробітників та відділів. Переглянути кар'єрні можливості тут.

Every spring, summer, and fall, we welcome a new slate of talented and passionate interns to our team! In this blog post, hear from three of our current interns from across the organization.

Priyanka Sinha, Skills Pathway Intern

Student at Tufts University 

What led you to an internship at IINE? 

At Tufts, I study international relations. I have tailored a lot of my research and my academic track to learning about humanitarian issues, refugee and immigrant communities, and their migrations to other parts of the world. Thus, I was interested in an internship at IINE because this organization is at the forefront of working with refugee communities by providing key guidance through resettlement and building a prosperous life here. I am drawn to work opportunities that allow me to make a direct, immediate impact, and I really see that at IINE.  

What have you enjoyed most about your time here? 

Later this month, I am attending a workshop with some of our refugee and immigrant clients involved in professional training. I will have the opportunity to engage in a focus group discussion with them on their career goals, the experience they are bringing with them, and how to translate their interests into sustainable long-term paths for them and their families. Though this discussion has not happened yet, I am most excited about this project because engaging with this group on their career aspirations, how they imagine their futures, and how we can help them realize them is very fulfilling for me. 

How has this experience better prepared you for your future? 

My experience at IINE has connected me to a network of people with similar values and priorities surrounding issues of resettlement and resources for incoming populations of refugees. It has also equipped me with more comprehensive conversational and organizational skills as I balance different projects at once and conduct outreach to many different local organizations to compile materials for our programs. 

Katherine Santos, Community Services and Resettlement Intern

Graduate Research Assistant at University of Massachusetts Lowell

What led you to an internship at IINE? 

My passion for working with migrant communities led me to an internship at IINE. I’m graduating from the University of Massachusetts Lowell Community Social Psychology Master’s Program, in which the graduate capstone project is a year-long practicum/internship where you combine theory and practice in the local community.  

What have you enjoyed the most about your time here? 

I enjoy working in a fast-paced environment that’s always changing, where each day I can learn something new or exciting. Changes in federal policy can be seen at the individual level through client numbers or immigration status. Through working directly with clients and providing them with assistance to succeed in the U.S., you can see the variety of individuals, families, and types of services they may or may not need.  

How has your experience better prepared you for the future? 

This experience has better prepared me for my future as a community psychologist. While I have some experience, migrant communities, like all communities, are complex and heterogeneous. Research and theory are great tools to learn, however direct experience cannot be discounted as a powerful source of knowledge. 

Yoryi Peguero III, Multimedia Intern

Student at Framingham State University 

What led you to an internship at IINE? 

Chief human resources officer Nina Nova-Duran would have to take the credit here as she knew I needed an internship in my last semester of college. She reached out to me and asked what I was interested in doing for a future career. When I mentioned my interest in social media, she presented the perfect opportunity to join the Marketing Department as a Multimedia Intern. It was exactly what I was looking for at the time. In the classroom we are taught the theory of marketing and where it can take you, but I was ready to put what I had learned into practice. Media marketing is evolving by the day, and IINE stands behind a great mission and purpose which resonate with aspects of my life.  

What have you enjoyed most? 

Being at IINE has been a nice, soft welcoming to the working world and that is something that I appreciate. The team I have been working with has been amazing and super helpful with every question I have. I have enjoyed creating content for them and even seeing some of my own ideas be implemented into current projects. That has shown me that this is a place where your ideas are valued.  

How has this experience better prepared you for the future? 

This experience has better prepared me for the future by teaching me how to connect with others and build ideas off of one another. During my first interview, I caught myself sort of thinking out loud and gave Kelly Fleming, director of annual giving and engagement, and Jason Rabin, communications manager, an idea that we are now putting into action. IINE has also allowed me to grow as an individual in the work place. I have learned new things and have polished some of my skills to become a better version of myself. I plan to continue the good work I have put in here and allow myself to enjoy new endeavors in different aspects of life.  

IINE internships offer robust, hands-on experience for individuals of all ages to develop nonprofit leadership and refugee and immigrant direct service skills. Curious to learn more? Click here: Internships at IINE.