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Monia Woodjina Desert
Background: Bachelors in Management, Public Administration in the Nonprofit Sector
Placement: Research Operations, Sponsored Programs Administration, Boston Medical Center
Learn more about the Fellowship HERE.
Monia Woodjina Desert has been embracing a new cultural landscape for the past year since immigrating from Haiti. Monia holds a Bachelors in Management from Ecole Nationale Superieure de Technologie in Haiti. Before coming to the US, Monia had spent two years working for the US-based non-profit, Pan American Development Foundation (PADF), and worked for the Public Administration at the Ministry of Tourism in Haiti for six years. Monia’s career was abruptly interrupted by the escalating political instability in Haiti. 2023 marked a pivotal turning point in Monia’s career. Despite her worries about rebuilding her career, her family encouraged her to move legally to the US. Although this move was paramount for her safety and future success, Monia experienced new professional challenges that required ABN’s support.
Upon arriving in the US, Monia began to notice how apparent the differences in workplace culture were in the US vs. Haiti. Monia explained how it could be difficult for her to identify boundaries in the workplace due to the US workplace culture being more distant. Whereas in Haiti, the communication style is more open and communal. ABN has helped Monia navigate cultural differences in the workplace through workshops that allowed her to learn more about her own communication style. Monia claims that learning about her communication style has allowed her to better understand how she fits in the workplace.
Monia’s biggest fear was being unable to continue her successful career and not being able to replicate the career she had built for herself in Haiti. Monia expressed how adapting and adjusting to US life can be easier when you immigrate as a young adult. Monia did not want to have to return to square one after accumulating eight years of experience as a working professional. Luckily, Monia’s cousin guided her toward organizations to keep an eye out for. Monia began to track ABN’s website to see if there were workshops for her to attend. Soon after, Monia made the bold decision to relocate from Florida to Boston in order to advance her career.
Working with Boston Medical Center (BMC) has been life-changing for Monia. Through this experience, Monia felt that her eight years of experience in Haiti finally mattered. Prior to being a part of the ABN fellowship, Monia experienced firsthand how cutthroat the US job market can be for immigrants.
“It’s frustrating when you don’t see your college listed on a drop-down menu—it feels like your education is being erased, as if the hard work and sacrifices you made don’t count,” Monia said.
Monia encourages future applicants to take a chance on themselves and emphasizes it’s important to try and get involved. Monia added that it’s okay to feel nervous when taking an unknown path in life; the two emotions—fear and belief—can coexist. Maintaining your faith in times of uncertainty was crucial to Monia’s success. Her hard work has paid off, and she was offered a six-month full-time contract with BMC’s Research Operations department after the completion of her fellowship.
She is deeply grateful to the funders and supporters of ABN who have helped her along the way when it was difficult for her to trust the process.
We envision a day when the skills of immigrant professionals are highly valued and they can use their past experiences to build their careers, support their families, and make meaningful contributions to our society.
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