Reflections of Let Me Tell You My Story by Kate Farrell
Written by Megan Carson
Kate Farrell, Director of Marketing and PR at Familius, has been an invaluable source of vision and energy in helping us launch our book, Let Me Tell You My Story. We are so grateful for the efforts and talents she brings to helping us share the stories of our friends seeking refuge. Here are some of her thoughts about working on this project with us:
“When I was in college, I studied how storytelling through media can create communities and inspire social change. I know that this book will prompt long-lasting ripples of powerful dialogue.
“I’ve always had access to an education, a bed, and my family to hug. I learned about other cultures primarily through two other luxuries: books and travel. I cared deeply about others, and always tried to listen to others when I met them. As I grew, I increasingly realized that this wasn’t quite enough. Many of the media platforms that I admired and wanted to learn about diversity from were dominated by people who had access to the same things that I did growing up, and who often looked very similar to me.
“As I learned, listened, and grew, I searched for answers and tried to listen to stories created by people of all backgrounds, something that became increasingly important as my awareness of life outside of my small town grew too.
“Speaking with and supporting the TSOS team, reading these refugees’ stories, and promoting this book makes me feel like I am fighting for a better future.
“Everyone deserves a platform to tell their stories. We must listen to and acknowledge the coexisting pain and the love in the journeys of those around us. We must learn about one another’s cultural backgrounds, hardships, and personal victories (if our friends are willing to share) so we know how we may best love and support each other as humans with commonalities, but also beautiful, wonderful differences.
“I feel the TSOS team is my family, and I am extremely grateful to them for laboring over this book for years before I joined the project. I am also extremely grateful to every refugee who was willing to share their story and their voice for their project. Your bravery and vulnerability is beautiful, and you are strong beyond what I could ever hope to be. I hope that this book will take readers’ breath away and compel them to take moments out of distractingly busy lives to connect with the people within these pages. Human stories are what life is about- I’m just lucky to be able to work with and share them.”
-- Kate Farrell, Director of Marketing and PR at Familius
My First Asylum Case: An Attorney's Perspective on Asylum in the United States
I took my first asylum case in 2016, when our national dialog on immigration took a decidedly negative turn. As a corporate attorney, I had no experience in immigration law, but my license allowed me to represent individuals fleeing severe persecution and I signed with a local non-profit to offer my help. My first asylum client was a young mother and her two small daughters. I could see myself in Saba.
Their Story is Our Story Applauds the Signing of Virginia House Bill 995 and Continues Efforts to Open Doors for Foreign-trained Medical Professionals in Other States
Their Story is Our Story (TSOS), a non-profit organization that collects and shares the experiences of refugees to deepen understanding and influence action, applauds the signing of Virginia House Bill 995 into law by Governor Glenn Youngkin, after its unanimous passage through the Virginia House of Delegates and Senate. It will create a pathway for foreign-trained doctors who have immigrated to the state, including those whose careers were interrupted by forcible displacement, to fill workforce gaps in medically underserved communities.
Idaho One Refugee Conference
Last fall I was able to attend the 1Refugee Conference in Idaho. The event was well organized and everyone who approached our table was interested in what we did and wanted to know how to get involved. There were at least 100 students majoring in a variety of things who attended the event and we had 20 students give us their contact information. Most were interested in our internship programs.