Nika Schneider

Responsibilities

Assisted in organizing the 2022 Des Moines World Refugee Day Celebrations and other community events. Aided Drake/ Iowa MMJ Afghan Legal Clinic by checking in those who speak primarily Pashto or Dari. Aided the the RACI Resettlement Agency Centralized Donation Facility. Managed logistics and reporting for Workgroups: Advocacy, Community Justice, Health, Mental Health, Economic Mobility, Education, Legal, Transportation, Interpretation/Translation. Created outfacing PR including weekly newsletters, website updates, flyers, meeting notes and more!

Accomplishments

My greatest accomplishment during the internship was being able to aid and learn from the 2022 Des Moines World Refugee Day Celebrations. These events included the Refugee Resettlement Fact Walk, Screening of the film "Flee", Anne Frank Let Me Be Myself Exhibit, 3 Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Events and more!

Learning experience

One of the greatest lessons I learned and built on was the importance of Refugees in Iowa and how resettlement works across the globe. Did you know Iowa has historically been a leader in refugee resettlement?!

What advice would you give?

Build relationships with peers and educators in your major! Always reach out to organizations you are interested in even if they do not have an open position or internship! Stay organized, be timely, communicate clearly and have fun while doing so!