From top L-r, Devin Escobar, Jackie Tesman, Karyn Quispe, Johan Lopez, Driftnery Martinez, Anaurys De Leon
Riis Settlement’s Immigrant Services program recently welcomed three talented staffers and three social work interns who are ready to make their contribution to this dynamic department. From the incubation of a worker’s cleaning cooperative to mobilization of the Community Action Group to voter registration drives, there will be plenty of areas where these individuals can apply their energy.
Driftnery Martinez has worked for Riis Settlement since early 2014 when she assumed the role of Program Coordinator/Paralegal. Prior to that, she worked with the International Rescue Committee providing direct services to refugees, asylees, parolees, and other eligible immigrants applying for immigration-related benefits. Driftnery also traveled to Sierra Leone as a KidsGive intern to assist refugees and internally displaced people. Ms. Martinez holds a B.A. in Government from Lawrence University. This summer, when our former Director of Immigrant Services, Ms. Karina Wegman, left Riis Settlement to attend law school in Washington D.C, Ms. Martinez took over the role and continued the great work of her predecessor. She has brought a high level of commitment to the immigrant services program and has worked tirelessly to build the department. We look forward to watching her flourish as the new Director of Immigrant Services.
Johan Lopez recently joined the Immigrant Services team as the new Program Coordinator. Johan graduated from New York University with a Master of Science in Global Affairs and also obtained a Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from NYU. Prior to that, Johan obtained a Bachelor of Arts with a focus in Anthropology from the University of Arizona. He brings a wealth of knowledge in teaching and advocating on behalf of vulnerable populations, having taught in South Korea, New York and New Jersey, and having spearheaded a human rights campaign inspired by a short film entitled “Struggle with Identity” He is also the director of a powerful documentary on sexual and gender-based violence among female victims of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti entitled I, Too, Deserve a Life
Karyn Quispe joined us as the new Immigrant Services Case Worker. Ms. Quispe graduated from Medgar Evers College with a Bachelor of Science in Public Administration. She is an immigrant herself who has benefitted from the services provided by Settlement Houses. She has been a dedicated member of the University Settlement Society located on the Lower East Side where she attended English classes when she first arrived in the U.S. and, most recently, became very active attending meetings, trainings, workshops and leading parent groups. Karyn has a passion for improving the lives of low-income families and helping connect them to available resources. Over the last seven years she has worked as a Tax Preparer, Immigration Office Assistant and as a volunteer at AmeriCorps.
Our three social work interns come to us from the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter’s College: Jacqueline Tesman, Devin Escobar, and Anaurys DeLeon. They will form an integral part of the Immigrant Services team this year. We are thrilled to welcome all of our new staff and look forward to great things from the Immigrant Services Department.
