This article was written by Audrey Balliette, iACT for Refugees Intern

My involvement with the refugee program at iACT has been hugely influential in my life over the past nine months. But before I get carried away with telling you about all the amazing things I’ve learned, I will tell you a little about myself. My name is Audrey Balliette. I’m an eighteen-year-old high school senior, and I’m an intern with iACT for Refugees.

I started volunteering with iACT back in June, 2015, during the iLEARN Refugee Youth Summer program. To be honest, I decided to go to the first orientation meeting simply because a friend of mine had mentioned that she planned to volunteer there that summer, and I thought it sounded interesting. I didn’t think that first meeting would turn into such a serious volunteer commitment, or that my summer volunteer work would turn into an internship, or that my internship would turn into a passion– but I am so, so glad that it did.

Back in June and July during the summer program, I was immediately struck by the students’ excitement for the opportunity to learn English. In one room, we had different students speaking five or six languages (if not more), each with varying degrees of English proficiency. Despite language and cultural barriers, I found that teaching refugee students was much like teaching any group of students– they each had unique personalities and talents, but they were all very energetic and eager to learn. Every day, I found myself inspired by the energy and joy that these students exuded, in spite of the fact that I knew many of them likely had endured tragedies that I will never be able to fathom.

By the end of the summer, I knew that I wanted to continue working with iACT, and I’m thankful that this internship has provided me with that opportunity. As an intern, my primary responsibility has been helping to organize Saturday tutoring for refugee students. There have been many ups and downs with the tutoring program, and I definitely think that I now better understand the specific challenges facing refugee students. Middle school and high school in the American educational system are hard enough, both academically and socially, for native English speakers who are well adjusted to American culture. Refugee students have to conquer both language and cultural barriers before they can even attempt to perform well academically– and with the high school graduation rate for refugee students hovering around 20-30%, it is clear that we must do more.

Unfortunately, the current dialogue in the US surrounding refugees is plagued with misinformation, fearmongering, and xenophobia. My involvement with iACT has grown alongside this time of intense debate over refugees in the US, and I absolutely feel that my experiences with refugees have shaped my views on this issue.

At my high school, a senior thesis is required for graduation; after much deliberation, I finally chose to present my thesis on the topic of refugee resettlement in the United States. I am disheartened that there is such controversy over this topic, and it is easy to become discouraged at what I see and hear surrounding this debate.

When I am working with refugee students and feel their excitement despite the circumstances they have come from and the many odds stacked against them, I see that they are not so different from me.  So I know that there is hope.