Nika Schneider

Responsibilities

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

Accomplishments

Some of my greatest accomplishments during the internship required time management skills, organization and flexibility. I really was able to aid and learn from the 2022 Des Moines World Refugee Day Celebrations and created content/signups for the events. 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 understanding 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 a position listed on their website! Stay organized, be timely, communicate clearly and have fun while doing so!