Olivia Johnson

As a Chuck Green Fellow, I had the honor of working with the International Institute of Minnesota (IIMN), an organization dedicated to supporting new Americans through comprehensive services that aid their path to stability and success. The Institute’s programs cover various areas, including Workforce Development, Education, and Anti-Trafficking. This gave me a deeper understanding of the challenges immigrants and refugees face in this country.

In Immigration Services, I worked on appointment scheduling and outreach efforts aimed at increasing citizenship rates in the Minneapolis Metro area. I assisted clients with both N400 and N648 citizenship applications, guiding them from the initial application to the final steps. Additionally, I engaged with community members and local institutions to raise awareness about their role in supporting client naturalization. Finally, I assisted with a new media project for oath ceremonies, creating a better method for contacting clients about their stories and their journey to becoming a citizen.

In Refugee Services, I focused on the Resettlement and Placement (R&P) division, which helps refugees transition from the UNHCR and Department of State to resettlement in the U.S. To improve client support, I developed a new Cultural Orientation program that covers 15 essential areas, including health, laws, social norms, education, and more. We also collaborated with Premier Wireless on a pilot project to pre-program phones with crucial resources for refugees. Additionally, I created new case closure materials for case managers to use once the resettlement process is complete.

My time at the Institute has been transformative. I have experienced significant personal and professional growth while engaging in meaningful and challenging work. This fellowship has deepened my understanding of the resettlement process and immigration issues and has reinforced my passion for human rights and migration studies. The Chuck Green Fellowship offered me the autonomy to shape my experience and projects, which has been instrumental to my development. I am deeply grateful to my supervisors Corleen Smith and Michelle Eberhard, the IIMN staff, Professor Lisa Mueller, and the Chuck Green cohort for their unwavering support.