Key Profile Information:

– Background: BA in Law, Linguistics, and Business Administration from Haiti

– Placement: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Research Administrative Department

– Fellow Statement: “We are grateful for [ABN]. They give us hope. They give us a dream”

Click HERE to learn more about the Fellowship

Fellow’s Profile:

Choarina has big plans for her future and hopes to achieve them through ABN’s Immigrant Professionals Fellowship. She moved out of Haiti three years ago and came to the U.S. with the intention of taking care of her family and creating a good future for them. Although that was her main goal, she also hoped she could continue and progress forward in her career.

While in Haiti, Choarina was extremely dedicated to receiving an education and building her career. She received multiple bachelor’s degrees in Law, Linguistics, and Business Administration and worked at an audit firm for fourteen years. Unfortunately, her strong education and commitment to her work were not valued by U.S. hiring managers. Choarina says, “I went to many interviews, but each time they said you don’t have the position”.

This is when a friend sent her the information about ABN’s Immigrant Professionals Fellowship and suggested she look into it. After a year in the U.S. with little success in her desired career, Choarina realized this is what she needed to do to successfully enter the U.S. workforce.

After a six-month training period, Choarina was placed at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) as a Grant Specialist. She says that the Fellowship moved her along significantly and provided her with the knowledge and background she needed to acclimate to a new job, “They teach us how to think as a U.S. employee”.

With the help of ABN, Choarina has been offered a full-time opportunity and a promotion to a Research Administrator at BIDMC. Choarina urges other skilled immigrants to consider ABN. She says, “If I had this opportunity the first year when I came here I would have been further in my career. They give me a hand of hope. I can see the light. I can see what the future has for me, so don’t wait”.