We’ve created a digital toolkit to educate local organizations, leaders, and policy makers about the systemic barriers facing our immigrant and refugee communities and how COVID-19 has disproportionally impacted them. Our aim is to provide culturally sensitive solutions and tools that can improve existing services and policies to better serve our immigrant and refugee neighbors, who are essential to our communities.
Mohamed Merzoug’s journey reflects a life dedicated to service, resilience, and cultural adaptation. Born and raised in the vibrant port city of Oran in northwest Algeria. In 1992, amidst the turmoil of the Algerian Civil War, he made the courageous decision to leave his loved ones and immigrant to the United States, driven by a deep desire to safer and brighter future.
Over the years, Mohamed’s path led him through six states and four countries, immersing him in diverse cultures and languages. Fluent in English, Arabic, and French, he embodies the essence of a global citizen. Alongside his worldly experiences, Mohamed finds immense joy in his role as a devoted husband to his wife and a nurturing father to his two remarkable sons, Aadam and Elias.
Throughout central Indiana, Mohamed’s presence as a volunteer has been felt deeply. From organizations like Wheeler Mission, Junior Achievement, Fair Housing Center, and Habitat for Humanity to serving as a translator and mentor with Exodus Refugee Immigration, he leaves a lasting mark wherever he goes. Mohamed’s journey led him to AmeriCorps, where he worked with the Center for Interfaith Cooperation, fostering programs to support immigrant populations at Saint Monica Catholic Church.
His dedication caught the attention of IU Health, where he served as a Community Outreach and Engagement Project Manager, championing the needs of underserved communities. Now, Mohamed embarks on a new chapter as the Director of Development and Marketing at The Immigrant Welcome Center, where he eagerly anticipates the opportunity to continue his mission of service, extending a warm embrace to immigrants arriving in Indiana.
He enjoys strolling along the Monon Trail with his wife, traveling, exploring diverse cuisines, supporting and cheering on his youngest son in basketball and soccer,
In Mohamed Merzoug’s story, resilience, compassion, and a steadfast commitment to others shines brightly, illuminating a path of hope and unity for all.
Derek Torrico immigrated to the United States in 2006, from his hometown of Arequipa, Peru. His unique background has instilled an appreciation for diverse human experiences and a commitment to advocacy within the immigrant community.
Derek’s professional journey includes a tenure with the Public School System focused on Adult Education programs, where he found fulfillment in connecting with and empowering immigrants and adults seeking new opportunities. This experience catalyzed his transition to the Immigrant Welcome Center, where he sought to become an integral part of an organization dedicated to serving his community.
Committed to the principle of community service, Derek has demonstrated his altruism through various volunteer endeavors. In particular, he has dedicated his time to enriching the lives of children through the Indianapolis HOST program. In his spare time, Derek enjoys hiking, trying new restaurants, and traveling.
Rochenide was born and raised in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and immigrated to the states in her early teens. During her first few months in the United States, she quickly realized what a melting pot it was and began harboring a deep sense of interest and curiosity about other cultures.
With a background in Business Administration, Rochenide has spent the past five years working in settings where her primary focus was helping individuals find assistance and access to the resources that they need. In her role as the Project Liaison Manager, she is combining her passion and knowledge about diverse cultures with her experience in administration to better serve the immigrant population here in Indianapolis.
Kayla Byrd was born and raised in Indianapolis where she has happily witnessed the growth of the city’s immigrant population. As a language and culture enthusiast, Kayla has always enjoyed connecting with and learning about the diverse members of her community. In doing so, she has also learned about some of the challenges that they are faced with.
Kayla has a strong drive for serving and helping others. Before joining the Immigrant Welcome Center, she has worked in hospitality and healthcare. Kayla is a recent graduate of Indiana University with a BA in Linguistics.
In her role as office coordinator, Kayla hopes to make the immigrant community feel welcome and supported by connecting them to the resources that will allow them to thrive here in Indianapolis.
In her free time Kayla enjoys spending time with her family, group exercise classes, gardening and reading.
Bekah Wickham is a community advocate with a drive for justice and equity. With an educational background in community development, she is passionate about contributing her knowledge and skills to her community in hopes to advocate and care for those within it. Bekah has experience working with Cuban, Haitian, and Dominican migrants through work with International Organization for Migration under the UN, and out of this experience has developed a passion for the immigrants in her own community of Indianapolis. As Manager of Training and Resources, Bekah is responsible for developing and presenting trainings and workshops for community partners, and in doing so, can share her heart for advocacy and drive for justice with those who are interested in learning how to better care for the immigrants in their community.
Nilofar Sherzad has worked at various national and international organizations for children’s and women’s rights. She has more than ten years of experience in the fields of advocacy, human Rights conducting research and training, drafting regulations, and implementing projects. Beyond professional experiences, she is a civil rights activist, advocating for human rights, women’s rights, democracy, and social justice. Nilofar is a native of Afghanistan and now lives in Indianapolis with her family.
Juan Padilla was born and raised in Barranquilla, Colombia, where he majored in International Relations and Finance at the Universidad de la Costa.
Having close family connections in Indianapolis, he came to pursue his master’s degree for language teachers at the Indiana University School of Liberal Arts in Indianapolis, which he completed in 2022. Juan has an extensive background in humanitarian work related to translation and interpretation in more than eight countries in Central and South America.
In Indianapolis, he has helped communities like second, third, and fourth-generation Spanish language learners, intentionally including them in the language learning agenda, with efforts that go from altruistically translating children’s books to the creation of more inclusive higher education lectures and resources.
During his free time, Juan enjoys walks with his wife, photography, watching soccer and playing his guitar.
Christina Arrom Garza is a first-generation Cuban-American lawyer that uses her expertise to serve her community. She has experience working with nonprofits to build capacity, advocate for equality, and drive impact. Christina has directly served diverse populations facing housing insecurity and immigration challenges. In addition to direct services, she has helped organizations develop internal processes and structures to enhance their efficiencies and effectiveness.
In her current role as Chief Operating Officer, she leads program design, implementation, and evaluation. Furthermore, she develops organizational processes and systems to support our work. Christina is a graduate of Saint Louis University School of Law, and in her free time, she enjoys volunteering, spending time with her husband, and spoiling her dog.
Mistie Rivas is passionate about assisting and connecting the immigrant community to the resources they need. As an immigrant and first-generation college graduate herself, she understands the obstacles newcomers and minorities face every day and looks forward to being able to connect with community members with compassion. Her role as the Naturalization and Legal Service Coordinator allows Mistie to help bridge the gap between immigrants and legal resources offered in Indianapolis.
Mistie is a recent alum of IUPUI where she completed her Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies. After years of being undocumented, a DACA recipient, and lastly, a legal permanent resident, she became a Naturalized Citizen in 2022. She looks forward to using her experience to assist immigrants navigating different legal statuses. Mistie looks forward to using her strong networking and communication skills to connect with community members and program leaders to work on ways to help immigrants find legal resources and become naturalized citizens.
Diana Avila is originally from Honduras. At the age of 4, she moved to the U.S. with her family. She has lived in Indianapolis ever since, but it has not been easy. Being an immigrant and DACA recipient, Diana has held a passion for paving the way for other immigrants.
Her service to the immigrant community is undeniable as she hopes to continue to serve as the office coordinator for the Immigrant Welcome Center. In this role, Diana hopes to continue supporting immigrants in Indianapolis through her experience and passion for helping her community in a way that she has felt her family and herself have never been helped.
As Diana finishes her psychology degree at Marian University, she hopes to use her knowledge to continue building relationships and reducing the obstacles for immigrants in her community to ensure that all immigrants are thriving. She is committed to her role as a servant for immigrants and is constantly finding ways to help immigrants.
In her free time, she enjoys traveling, spending time with her family, learning new things every day, and digital design. Diana is also a Natural Helper and mental health advocate.
Gurinder Kaur is a servant leader, compassionate advocate for equity, and champion for social justice.
Gurinder was born and brought up in New Delhi, India. Her formative years were influenced by her middle-class working parents—both teachers. As a Sikh, Gurinder learned the principles of seva, which means selfless service for altruistic purposes on behalf of, and for the betterment of a community, early in her life. Gurinder endeavors to make an impact on the lives of those who need it most through her service on the boards of local nonprofits and by working in the community gardens to provide fresh produce to food-insecure neighbors in south Indy.
Professionally Gurinder trained as a physical therapist in India and arrived to work at Oakwood Hospital in Dearborn, Michigan in the early 1990s on an H1B visa. She fondly remembers the day her plane was preparing to land at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport, and she saw white clouds on the ground. As she stepped outside, the bitter cold Michigan winter wind hit her face and she realized that the white cloud on the ground was snow. Gurinder still is amazed by the snow to this day.
Gurinder earned her post-professional master’s degree in physical therapy from the University of Indianapolis in 1995. In October 1999, Gurinder became a proud citizen of the United States of America. In 2001, Gurinder earned her master’s in public health from the Fairbanks School of Public Health. Since then, she has worked in leadership roles in public health, nonprofit, and most recently in higher education at the University of Indianapolis. Gurinder is the proud mother of two children. She enjoys walking on the canal towpath near the 100 Acre Woods, reading, and doing yoga.
In her role as the CEO of Immigrant Welcome Center, Gurinder focuses on initiatives to increase community-wide awareness of the rich cultural and ethnic diversity that our new immigrant and refugee neighbors bring to the City of Indianapolis. She is excited to work with the board and key stakeholders to clearly describe the impact of barriers and challenges that our new neighbors face and work with policymakers to identify and implement innovative solutions to address these challenges.
Gurinder serves on the board of the Indiana Public Health Association as well as WFYI’s Community Advisory Board.
A life-long language learner, Ginger Kosobucki appreciates the difficulties immigrants face in a culture whose dominant language is not their own. Her work focuses on creating more opportunities for English language learning for immigrants in their workplaces and communities. She has been a board member of INTESOL since November 2021. She is developing a program for immigrants with limited formal schooling and beginning literacy skills.
Ginger earned a BA in French from the University of Vermont and an MA in English (TESOL concentration) from Indiana University. She has lived in five different countries and has been a language teacher for over 20 years. While teaching international students, her interest in community work grew, and she became a volunteer with the Immigrant Welcome Center. In 2019, she led a research team to discover the barriers facing immigrants for learning English, and in 2020 she led the Pathway to Literacy team in developing curriculum, assessment, and classes for beginning learners. She believes that every immigrant deserves access to language learning to thrive in their new culture from their starting points. She agrees with her Eritrean student, who said, “Language is wealth.” Ginger enjoys walking, biking, discovering new places, and visiting family and friends.
Sergio Roldan was born and raised in Guatemala City, Guatemala, and relocated with his family to Atlanta, Georgia shortly after the 1996 Olympic Games. Growing up in a multicultural city such as Atlanta influenced Sergio to have a deep appreciation for diversity and a commitment to empowering immigrants to thrive in a new country.
Sergio is a graduate of Georgia State University where he majored in Political Science. During his studies at Georgia State, Sergio quickly developed an interest in global issues, geography, and political philosophy. Influenced by his catholic faith, Sergio is committed to the Church’s social teachings and its ‘preferential option for the poor.’
Professionally, Sergio has worked in the non-profit sector for six years and has implemented his case management experience to assist refugees in finding employment, reuniting unaccompanied minors with their parents, and fighting against homelessness in the Latino community of Atlanta. He has worked to assist victims of domestic violence and other crimes to apply for immigration benefits in Indianapolis.
Before joining Immigrant Welcome Center, Sergio worked at different organizations including, World Relief Atlanta, Lutheran Services of Georgia, the Latin American Association of Atlanta, and the Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic of Indianapolis.
In his free time, Sergio enjoys spending time with his wife and two children and traveling to Atlanta whenever possible to visit his siblings and nephew. As an avid soccer fan, he also enjoys playing in recreational soccer leagues and supporting his beloved club, Real Madrid.