Every moment in life is a transition: in the present we are always transitioning from the past toward the future. As we move forward we carry our varied histories and cherished memories, our life experiences and years of education, our family bonds and friendships, our successes and failures, and our hopes and dreams . . . and with excitement and some apprehension we look forward to what awaits us tomorrow.
It is hard to believe that my first year as a HM Volunteer began fourteen months ago. Before arriving to the Villa and especially before making the journey to Miami, I was acutely aware of the fact that the year of service I was beginning was going to be full of moments of transition—myriad opportunities to grow spiritually, emotionally, and culturally (I was not aware then of the “uniqueness” that is South Florida). In fact, I viewed the year itself as a transition between graduate school, which I had recently finished, and my career path, which I had yet to fully discern.
Now, already two months into my second year as a volunteer, I am acutely aware of an impending life transition in 2012. In June I took the LSAT (law school admission exam), and just yesterday I took it for a second time, trying for a higher score. I will likely begin the grueling process of applying to various graduate programs in the months ahead, in both law and social work (and perhaps others . . .). Putting the admissions process aside for a moment, I would like to focus on the motivations behind considering graduate school in the first place. At twenty-five, I sometimes ask myself why I would want to return to school yet again. Is nineteen years of school not enough? But the answer is very clear: I have always enjoyed school and learning. Why would I have otherwise gone through a stressful master’s program immediately after undergrad? There is something very positive to be said about higher education. Yet during my literature master’s program and the Spanish language courses I taught as an Associate Instructor, I often found myself asking questions such as “How am I making a true impact on the lives of my students and on the lives of others?” and “How does applying this literary theory to this medieval poem make a lasting impact on the needs of those in need in world?”
Needless to say, I decided against continuing for another six years in the doctoral program after obtaining my master’s. I knew that I was called to be a more concrete witness and presence in the lives of others, and I felt that there was a lesson that I needed to learn from classroom of the world, something that was missing from a purely academic setting. And that desire led me to discover the HM Volunteer Service and my position as a Paralegal with the Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center (FIAC) in Miami, Florida.
At FIAC I have seen tangible results from my work with the unaccompanied immigrant children that our project assists. I have done intakes with countless children as we assess their legal options. I have drafted motions and petitions. I have filled out pages and pages of USCIS applications. I have translated Birth Certificates and Death Certificates. I have interpreted during interviews at USCIS. And these months of hard work by the FIAC attorneys and staff (and the client) have paid off with approved cases before immigration. There is something profoundly rewarding about seeing the smile on a kid’s face when s/he finally holds that green card and we are able to close their case. These are moments that reassure me without question that the choice to continue with a second year of service has been the right decision. Just last week, we held a “Know Your Rights” for a group of clients who obtained permanent residency through the Special Immigrant Juvenile Visa program; and there was a noticeable presence of joy, peace, and optimism (as well as a touch of anxiety!) in the room among these young men who now begin their own transition into a stable life in this country as they reach for their dreams in the future.
I will conclude by recognizing that these years of volunteer work have opened my eyes to so much injustice and sorrow in the world, especially among the youth. So many people suffer in ways unimaginable to the majority of the population. But these experiences have also given me a newfound sense of hopefulness and optimism that we are indeed capable of making a lasting impact in the lives of many and facilitate their transition from a life of despair and anguish into one of confidence and hope. This realization is something I can take away with me long after my time as a HM Volunteer has ended. And there are many more lessons to be learned in the months ahead . . .
October marks a very important transition for FIAC. Begun over fifteen years ago to defend the basic human rights of immigrants in this country, FIAC broadened its national scope on October 1st as we transitioned into our new identity as Americans for Immigrant Justice (AI Justice). We will continue the same dedicated work as before with a renewed energy and focus on protecting and promoting the basic human rights of immigrants.
For more information on the FIAC to AI Justice transition, see: www.fiacfla.org
-Adam
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