Elevating The Path Forward

Happy 10th Anniversary to New American Pathways! In recognition of this milestone, this month’s Thought Leaders are New AP’s inaugural Board Chair Adriana Varela and our current Board Chair Mitika Leblois.

Ten years ago, Refugee Family Services (RFS) and Refugee Resettlement & Immigrations Services of Atlanta (RRISA) formed a successful merger created to strengthen the resources and provide a continuum of service for new Americans.

Adriana and Mitika share their insights on how New American Pathways continues helping refugees and Georgia thrive, serving as a model for resettlement both locally and nationally.

What inspired you to work in resettlement for the refugee community?

ADRIANA: I am an immigrant myself and came to the U.S. on a work visa and thought the process was incredibly difficult. So, I couldn’t imagine how difficult it would be for someone that is seeking refuge. I knew when I got the knowledge and opportunity, I wanted to assist people who also wanted to pursue life here.

MITIKA: I’m also an immigrant. I moved here to the U.S. when I was very young. My mom came here on a work visa.  I wanted to be able to be involved with an organization that was doing impactful work and give back in some way through meaningful connections, the same way I was given so many opportunities because people took chances.

Adriana, tell us about forming the board for New AP.

ADRIANA: On both sides of the agencies (RRISA and RFS), there were committed and devoted board members, some of whom were founders themselves. You also had Executive Directors who were servant leaders with a terrific attitude of camaraderie and benefit to the north star, which are our clients. And the board followed suit with that example.

Tell us what you are most proud of with New American Pathways.

MITIKA: The first thing that comes to mind is the organization’s resilience. In the last five years, the resilience that the team and the organization has demonstrated amidst the challenges that are political and domestic just as much as they are global and far reaching, has been tremendous.

ADRIANA: I would agree. And that is a secret sauce that can’t be packaged. Additionally, I would add the model of the continuum of service. It’s not a monolithic population we’re working with, and they need assistance from arrival until they are very integrated members of the community.

Name some of your most memorable moments at New American Pathways.

ADRIANA: I remember the first time that I took part in the New Americans Celebration*. A group of refugees had been waiting by the curb of their home. We picked them up at around 9 a.m. and they said they had been there since 7 a.m. They were all dressed in their best regalia, all eager and so willing to meet their representatives. That was an amazing experience.

MITIKA: My first time experiencing the New Americans Celebration was one of the most powerful experiences for lots of reasons. One of them was watching the people who have come here after so much work, commitment, and effort. Sort of the most beautiful aspects of what it means to live in America, which is our democratic system. It was an incredibly powerful experience.

How has New American Pathways impacted the Georgia community during your time with the organization?

MITIKA: There are few organizations across the country that take you, from the onset, all the way to citizenship. And I think New AP’s uniqueness in that path and the engagement from the organization along the way is unique and has a unique impact on the communities that it serves, Georgia being most direct.

ADRIANA: The understanding of the business community, of this diversity within the refugee community, where there are a lot of vacant jobs that the business community cannot fill, and there are refugees that have the necessary skills to fill them. Opening the eyes to the fact that refugees are not threatening, but rather an asset to our beautiful city and state.

What are your hopes for the next 10 years of New American Pathways? 

MITIKA: I think, more than anything is that we continue to support the people that we serve and keep them at the core of the mission, regardless of size, regardless of volume, regardless of impacts in the global and domestic climate, that we continue to keep the people at the forefront of the mission.

ADRIANA: Continue to be innovative because agencies have spun off from New American Pathways’, processes have improved, that now set the standard for the way of operating. Surviving a crisis such as Covid, and those who are unwelcoming of immigrants and refugees yet, we still thrive. That needs to be amplified, not only in Atlanta and in the greater metropolitan area, but in Georgia and elsewhere.

If you could use one word to describe New American Pathways, what would it be?

MITIKA: Impactful.

ADRIANA: Innovative.