Micah Dicker in Athens Square, Astoria. Photo: Maria Eliades.
Astoria, NY -Micah, an intern in the Legal Department at CIANA and a senior in SUNY New Paltz's Global Engagement Program, was inspired to join in part because he saw how inadequate local government was at being able to act on the behalf of the people that they were working for.
“CIANA caught my eye because we help immigrants who are disadvantaged in a lot of ways by the community when they arrive to the United States," he says. "We provide legal services because I think in a lot of ways it's the first step to integration, to becoming a formal citizen.”
Since then, Micah has enjoyed interacting with clients in person, and says that the personal touch of translating or filling out forms with them is what he enjoys most about the work -but also what he believes has the most impact.
"I think the assurance that people can come here for help makes an impact and makes a difference in their lives. As someone who schedules things with the attorney, it may not seem glamorous, but that kind of thing really helps clients.” he says,
CIANA provides the assurance that people won’t just be turned away. Instead, CIANA instills people with the confidence that the clients will be listened to and be taken seriously.
Ultimately, being at CIANA has been an unforgettable experience for Micah.
“I think based on being at CIANA and also being a senior in college that it's made me thankful for the college that I attend, because I’m learning a lot both through the class and this internship . This internship relates to a lot of what’s going on around the world, to a lot of pertinent issues, and as a whole, I’m really grateful to my school for being able to make me more aware of that and to teach me both the history and current events. And also just that I’m able to find a community there, I have like a second home there. It’s really been an amazing part of my life this part four years.”