Finding Our Voices Today

Kerry Brodie, Founder & Executive Director of Emma’s Torch, is creating pathways for refugees and immigrants one plate at a time. Founded in 2016, Kerry made a dramatic career decision that would change the trajectory of her own professional life but also for many others who would benefit from her creative vision. They have embraced and supported the refugee population for almost ten years by prov...

Edith Targonski arrived to the United States from Peru when she was 19 years old. Her sister had arrived a few years before and she was so happy about being reunited with her, but unhappy to speak English. She had visited the U.S. numerous times prior to her move but didn’t know much English and lacked confidence in her speaking skills. She soon met a fellow immigrant from Poland, who arrived at 1...

Rivca Zacharia’s family moved from Israel to the U.S. in 1967 when she was just 6 years old. Traveling by ship, her family (father, mother and sister) arrived in Brooklyn on a cold and snowy February day. She remembers the cold and how she and her sister hated it at first. On their way to the U.S. they stopped in Greece to visit her father’s parents, his sister and family. They spoke only Hebrew a...

Amr Hallaba immigrated from Egypt in 1998 when he was just 16 years old joining his mother and sister who arrived before him. He stepped into his life in Georgia leaving behind all of his friends, his father, stepmother and stepsister. A new chapter was about to launch… with his high school diploma earned in Egypt it was now time to begin working while attending community college in the evening. H...

Mausumi Patra moved from India in 2014 with her husband and her 3 year old daughter. Settling into her new city with her husband at work all day she knew she needed community and went out into the unknown in search of making connection. As a naturally outgoing person, she sought out others from the neighborhood who were immigrants from India, but she wanted to expand her reach. She wholeheartedly...

Silvano De La Cruz immigrated from Peru with his mother and sisters after his father had left 18 months prior, setting their life and future up for them in the U.S. The day his father left for his journey to America, Silvano was 11 years old and was tasked with taking care of his sisters. They would receive sporadic letters or cassette tapes of his father’s recorded voice that he created for them...

Reverend Sara Smith, Esq. has a history deeply rooted in service and hard work. Growing up in Kentucky and helping with her 1000 acre family farm, she isn’t afraid of getting her hands dirty. After passing the bar and working as a labor rights litigation attorney, she had a calling to attend Divinity school, which changed the trajectory of her career and life. Now, with 30 years of experience as a...

Ola Bossio is an incredibly talented artist who immigrated from Poland in 1999 at just 20 years old. Joining her older sister who had arrived prior to Ola, she immediately immersed herself into English classes and began to work. Originally from north Poland, which borders Russia, she felt moving to the United States would bring more opportunities than under the regime she was living in. Living in...

Urmi Hossain shares her sense of belonging in the world. As a proud South Asian woman who has an interesting and inspiring story that we can all learn from. Her family of origin roots are embedded in Bangladesh, as both parents are from there, but a few years before she was born, they emigrated to Sicily, Italy, for better opportunities. It is heard that Urmi was the first Bengali baby born in Sic...

Diane Rosenthal, Executive Director at Student Advocacy, Inc. in Westchester, NY, is the epitome of servant leadership. Beginning her career as a middle school teacher, she moved from the classroom into the nonprofit world, leading the New York Public Library’s adult literacy program which served over 1000 students per year. Diane’s leadership helped shape the social and literacy skills needed for...

Bonnie Solivan is a proud “Nuyorican”. This word refers to someone who has been raised in New York with deep ancestry and cultural traditions from the island of Puerto Rico. As a child of missionaries, she has lived in South and Central America, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and various boroughs in NYC, and her now in her current home in CT. Growing up, her family focused on education and learning, b...

Valerie Wilson was the first person in her family to attend college and she knows how important this was for her career path. As a certified professional Career Coach and Resume Expert, she is committed to helping young and experienced professionals. Her experience in higher education working with undergraduate and graduate students truly helps soon-to-be graduates and job seekers focus on their g...

Flor De Hoyos is Latina from Puerto Rico who is a force to be reckoned with. Her career has been focused on advocacy and support to adult learners, children and their families, and it’s her personal experience that is the underlying tool to her professional effectiveness. Flor’s ability to connect and empathize with families in her district is the key to the overall success in her current role. Af...

Season 3 is here! Astrid Robitaille is passionate about adult learners and is a strong advocate for adult education programs across the nation. As a former 7th grade teacher, she transitioned into adult education and never looked back. She has taught many subjects including courses preparing students for U.S. citizenship, the GED (high school diploma program) and English as a Second Language. As a...

Alexandra Castro is an immigrant from Colombia that is an entrepreneurial trailblazer. Arriving to the U.S. was nothing short of a challenge but Alexandra was a chef with a plan. After running her family pizza restaurant in Colombia, she also managed a high-end restaurant in Montreal, which laid the foundational training and experience she needed to launch herself forward. Since returning to the U...

Cynthia Alvarez is a first generation Mexican American who grew up in a multigenerational household and is deeply proud of her family history. She exudes gratitude for the choices and sacrifices her parents and grandparents made for their growing family. She talks intimately how her grandparents impacted her values and self-esteem and how her family is still influential to her life decisions. As a...

Julie Faryniarz is the Executive Director for Greenwich Alliance for Education and has much to share about the fabulous initiatives and programs they have for the youth in Greenwich, CT. Over the last 18 years they have worked collaboratively and in partnership with the Greenwich Public Schools and its teachers as the local education foundation to drive innovation, opportunity and access in learni...

Nancy Meckel is back again in season 2 for another interview and we couldn’t be more pleased about this! An experienced instructor of English as a Second Language and accent coach to adults, and founder/owner of American English Guide, Nancy brings her years of expertise, experience, dedication and passion for language to our conversation. In this episode Nancy and I will explore her belief in the...

Judy Betz is a first-generation American whose parents immigrated from Italy. Her father came on a boat from Italy as a stowaway after paying $1,000 while her mother came through Ellis Island. Her parents didn’t know each other while living in their native country but met later in the U.S., fell in love, started their life together, and fully immersed in the American culture. You’ll hear the amazi...

Sara Olivia Garcia is a first-generation American with deep family roots from Mexico. At 86 years of age, she has an incredible life story to share with us, and opens up in a deep conversation about how family and career choices can change the trajectory of your life’s path. Her mother and grandparents fled Mexico during the revolution when Pancho Villa was making it dangerous to stay in their cou...

Nettie Parker Bauman is a passionate, empathetic and tenacious immigration attorney working closely with women, men and their families through the legal process of transitioning to the U.S. from another country. As an independent attorney, she represents asylum-seekers in the U.S. Immigration Courts and at U.S. Asylum Offices. She provides direct counsel and resources that ensure their safety and...

Jesús Reyes arrived from his native country, Mexico, at 17 years old. After a childhood of visiting the U.S. while his father worked as a seasonal migrant worker, he made the decision to move with his older brothers and finish high school in CT. As an ESL student he was challenged with learning English and his classes while working part-time to contribute to rent. As the youngest of ten children,...

Ana Alfaro is a Corporate Citizenship Program Manager & Hispanic Media Relations at Eversource Energy. She has over 25 years of diverse experience in various aspects of public, media, and community relations, event management, and television production. In her current position she manages the company’s volunteer engagement opportunities and employee giving programs. Ana Alfaro is the producer and...

Mirtica Aldave moved to the United States from Peru with her family at a very young age. Her parents and their strong family values upheld Peruvian traditions and customs and little did she know, growing up in a bilingual home would shape her entire career. As a bilingual educator and cultural researcher, she has taught in the Hartford School system for many years impacting her students lives. As...

Ballet Folklorico de las Americas (Diana, Paola, & Kelly) are committed to educating their diverse audiences through dance, music and sheer enthusiasm to be with people. These fabulously talented women are sisters from Colombia who arrived at different points in their lives, all with a unique focus, but are committed to teaching and learning all while spreading the beauty of dance as a way to tell...