Guest

[FOREIGN] I am a parent. Today I'm a project manager. When I found out that my son had disabilities, I started taking courses and workshops training then I became a special education advocate. So as an immigrant parent, I had to learn to help my son with disabilities. And now what I do is inform, empower, I assist and support immigrant parents to navigate different systems here in Massachusetts, including school, medical, legal, human services. I guess the focus is to bring awareness about the reality of what it is to be an immigrant parent, facing barriers like financial communication but also to work to eliminate some assumptions and prove their capacity right to become partners with the school system or with the medical providers working with the family just to ensure that there is equal access to opportunities. 

I use my own experience as an immigrant parent to help other immigrant parents navigate systems. I improve the materials that the organization uses to education families. Immigrant parents especially need the context involved with a situation rather than just the information. So when helping them navigate a specific system, I'll break down each step, give context, and build trust. I also supervise a team of four employees who are working to do similar things.

Aceriane Leal

About Aceriane

Aceriane Leal

About Aceriane

Related Videos