Anastasia Campos received the Intern of the Year award from the Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants (CIRI). She had the exciting opportunity to intern with two programs at CIRI.  In the Survivor Services program, Ana was responsible for providing trauma-informed social service assistance to survivors of torture and their families.  She assisted clients in applying for and obtaining state and federal benefits, as well as other services including medical care, mental health counseling, transportation assistance, employment, education, and more.  According to Christina Castellani, her supervisor, “Ana approached all tasks with warmth and compassion, built trust with clients, and positively impacted their lives in truly meaningful ways”.

In the Health and Wellness program, Ana’s duties focused on adults and minors with intensive case management needs. She assisted clients in scheduling and attending appointments which often included applying for social security and other public benefits as well as making doctor’s appointments. Her supervisor, Martine Dherte, said “Ana was a source of strength and a positive influence on those she served. Her dedication and professionalism was very much appreciated”.

Ana’s award was the book, titled “An American Story: Finding Home in Fairfield County”, a CIRI commemorative centennial book that shares the stories of eight immigrants and refugees of Connecticut. “Working with refugees, asylum-seekers, and survivors at CIRI has been a rewarding, humbling, and enlightening experience,” says Anastasia. “Helping clients become self-empowered and self-sufficient in their communities has reaffirmed for me the incredible powers of resilience, collaboration, and compassion– qualities that are essential to social work and community practice. The stories and journeys of our diverse clients and staff have been a constant reminder of why I entered this field, and will continue to inspire and inform my future work”.