CMS Staffers Discuss Immigration with High School Students
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Megan Helbling provides an overview of CMS’ mission and work to Dominican Academy students.
On Tuesday afternoon, CMS immigration counselors Corrylee Drozda and Megan Helbling visited the Dominican Academy, a Catholic college preparatory school for girls on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. They met with two classes of high school seniors on Catholic social teaching to share CMS’ mission and services and to discuss immigration policy with the students.
Corrylee and Megan were invited to meet with the classes during their unit on immigration by their teacher to dispel negative myths and stereotypes about immigrants. The teacher, Katie Leo, is a former Jesuit Volunteer, a Catholic service corps that placed Corrylee at CMS this year and Megan the year before she permanently joined CMS’ staff.
Corrylee Drozda discusses immigration policy with the students.
Corrylee and Megan gave the students a brief overview of CMS’ mission and the legal services we provide in immigration, housing, and workers’ rights. They also shared the stories of some of our immigration clients (with all confidential and personal information removed), to give a human face to immigration policy.
The students responded very positively, asking Megan and Corrylee thoughtful, engaging questions about deferred action for childhood arrivals (DACA) for DREAM-Act eligible youth (learn more here), U.S. citizenship, and other immigration issues.