Our NEAT Accompaniment program welcomes all volunteers and interns. Please reach out to Kelly Younger, Accompaniment Manager: kyounger@im4humanintegrity.org to intern with us!
Meet some NEAT interns and lead volunteers:
Gabby and Tila
Notre Dame high school , Belmont, CA
Both students updated our video training from 3 hrs down to 1 hr. Good job!
Nomathemba
School name : University of San Francisco
Degree name: MA in Migration Studies, Class of 2024
Bio: I recently graduated from the USF’s Masters in Migration Studies program. Prior to embarking on this program, I was an immigration officer for my country, Zimbabwe’s migration agency, the Department of Immigration Control. In my employment with the Department, I had the opportunity to work at different ports of entry including the Beitbridge Border Post, the busiest land border in Sub-Saharan Africa which exposed me to the diversity of migration phenomena and issues.
As a migration practitioner, I am driven by the desire for safe and humane migration, as well as inclusive immigration policies. While migration is often conceptualized as a problem, research has shown that it is not a zero-sum game but there are mutual benefits to be derived by both the migrants and their host countries, as well as their countries of origin. I am excited at the opportunity to intern with the InterFaith Movement for Human Integrity as I expect to bring on board experiences from my previous employment and the Masters in Migration Studies program while establishing inroads into the US migration field in general and specifically into work that supports migrants.
Shennel
School name: University of San Francisco
Degree Name: MA in International Studies
Class of 2025
Bio I am pursuing an MA in International/Globalization Studies with a Concentration in Governance and Global Justice at the University of San Francisco. I hold a BA in International Studies with a minor in Legal Studies, and I also graduated with a BA in Sociology from the African Methodist Episcopal University in Liberia. With a strong academic record, I have complimented my studies with diverse and impactful work experiences. These include roles at Collective Impact, the Thurgood Marshall Civil Rights Center, and the African American Redress Network. My commitment to global justice is further demonstrated through my leadership in USF student organizations and mentorship programs. My blend of academic excellence, practical experience, and leadership in community initiatives exerts my dedication to fostering governance and global justice.
Melody Carbajal
School name: University of San Francisco
Degree name: MA in Migration Studies, Class of 2025
My name is Melody Carbajal. I’m a graduate student at the University of San Francisco (USF), specializing in Migration Studies. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Political Studies. As a first-generation Peruvian American from the San Fernando Valley, CA, migration is a deeply personal subject for me, inspired by my parents’ journey from Peru.
I have interned with the Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI), where I assisted with clients’ asylum cases. I am excited about this internship opportunity and look forward to using my Spanish skills to communicate with our guests this summer, ensuring they feel welcome and supported. Currently, I work at the Southern California Minority Supplier Development Council (SCMSDC), a non-profit organization where we certify, connect, and develop minority businesses. I am passionate about connecting with people and look forward to bringing this dedication to my work during this internship.
Miriam Reyes-Pina
School: Universidad Iberoamericana Ciudad de Mexico and USF
Major/year: M.A. Migration Studies
Miriam is an experienced communications specialist with a rich background in various fields. After a significant break from academia, Miriam returned to school to pursue a master’s degree on Migration Studies. This academic journey was fueled by her personal experience as a migrant, which sparked a deep interest in the lives and challenges faced by migrant communities. Miriam focused her studies and research on indigenous migrant cultures in the Bay Area.
Miriam’s professional journey includes eight years as an interpreter and translator for the Berkeley, Contra Costa, and Oakland school districts. This role allowed her to directly support and communicate with diverse migrant populations further deepening her commitment to this cause. Her dedication and passion for helping others eventually led her to become a Spanish teacher at Fremont High School, in Fruitvale east of Oakland.
As part of her master’s program, Miriam completed an internship interviewing Haitian and Nicaraguan families to help reunite them with their loved ones in the Bay Area through the I-134a initiative. This hands-on experience provided invaluable insights into the personal and systemic challenges faced by migrant families, further informing her advocacy work.
Through her work and studies, Miriam continues to advocate for migrant communities drawing from her own experiences and extensive professional background to make a meaningful impact.
Gabriella
School: USF
Studies: MA in Migration Studies
Class of 2025
Bio: Hello! I’m Gabriela, but you can call me Gabi. I am a 4th year student at USF studying Politics, Latin American Studies, and Public Service & Community Engagement. I am extremely passionate about immigration and have a family immigrant background (my family is from Brazil!). I speak fluent Portuguese and am proficient in Spanish. I have interned for an immigration organization based in San Diego, CA (Al Otro Lado). And interned this summer in El Paso, TX where I was responsible for managing two migrant shelters (Annunciation House). These two experiences were incredibly powerful in my life and taught me so much about the immigrant reality in the US. I am excited to see how I can support you all and excited about all that I can learn from IM4HI. Looking forward to speaking with you all soon!
Faith Williams
School: USF
Studies: MA in Migration Studies
Faith Williams is a second-year master’s student in the University of San Francisco’s international migration studies program. She was raised in a small town in East Texas by parents who instilled values of both justice and religion in her, and she has found a lot of meaning in imagining ways that faith can power the world toward healing and joy. She studied sociology as an undergraduate student at Brigham Young University and spent a year doing accompaniment work in Argentina that truly taught her to value relationship-based responses to individual needs. Since then, opportunities to participate in direct aid initiatives at the border, work as a grassroots activist with Friends Committee for National Legislation (FCNL), learn from community organizers, and volunteer in a variety of capacities have affirmed that. As far as her future work is concerned, she hopes to be able to engage with the US political process as a researcher, advocate, and voter to build a more just world, especially for displaced persons. She loves being outside and believes that nature holds wisdom and guidance that we desperately need and can access when we act in harmony with Her abundance. Some hobbies include running, rock climbing, hiking, reading, exploring, and laughing
Marianas Fernandez
School: UCSC undergrad year 2
As a Nueva Esperanza Accompaniment Team intern for IM4HI, Marianas Fernandez works on case management for asylum seekers by connecting them to local community resources in the education, health, transportation, and legal fields. She
A Bay Area native, Marianas Fernandez grew up amongst people of different backgrounds and speaking different languages. Her name, ‘Marianas,’ derives from the group of islands of which Guam is a part. She has strong CHamoru and Filipino roots. As a minority woman, she strongly advocates for equity, diversity, and sharing of cultures.
She currently attends the University of California at Santa Cruz, pursuing a double major in Legal Studies and Sociology, with a concentration in Global Information and Social Enterprise Studies. The people she has met at IM4HI have further pushed her toward pursuing a law profession, where she is thinking about becoming an immigration lawyer or public defender.
Marianas enjoys playing soccer, hanging out with her 6 little siblings, reading, and journaling when she is not working or studying.
