First Impressions

By Evan Armstrong,

Community Engagement VISTA

A new endeavor by the International Institute this year involves the acceptance of five AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers to serve at the Institute. As one of those VISTA volunteers, I have been allowed to shadow the majority of the services the Institute offers as part of our on-site orientation. One of the most important services that the Institute provides (especially in the eyes of the refugees) involves picking individuals and families up from the airport when they first arrive in St. Louis. Many new clients have been away from their homes for many years, in camps or other countries providing temporary asylum. The landing of their plane in St. Louis marks the first stage of their resettlement process, while the sights and sounds as they leave the airport provide their first real impressions of America. I was fortunate enough to get to participate in an airport pickup this past week, and left impressed both at the smoothness of the operation International Institute employees carry out, and also at the resolve of the refugees who are coping with extraordinary change in their lives.

Disclosure rights prevent me from giving many details, but I was present at the arrival of a male refugee from Liberia. The flight got in pretty late, after 10pm CST – but I can’t complain while knowing that the refugee on board had been traveling for more than 24 hours in cramped airplane seats. We greeted Peter (name changed for protection) as he arrived, and after picking up a single piece of luggage for all his possessions, he was ready to go. Before the airport pickup, Institute employees secure housing for refugees who do not have family in the area to live with, so a modest apartment had been set up for this man. We drove Peter from the airport to his new apartment, and walked through how to work the basic appliances, as well as reading through the rules for the terms of lease agreement. Some basic food items had been bought earlier in the day for his use as well. After that, there was some quick signing of paperwork, and then we wished him good luck and promised to return the next day to take him shopping for more food and essential items.

Every new refugee at the Institute receives a small check from the government to allow for basic living as they acclimate to the United States, with a hope that by the time that money runs out, refugees will have found jobs and can be self-sustaining. The International Institute is heavily involved in that process, devoting time and resources to ensure that every client has opportunities to find work. After the grocery run the next day with Peter, he was instructed on when to come in next to begin his search for employment.

Peter comes to the International Institute almost every day right now. I smile and talk with him briefly whenever I see him, knowing he must be glad to recognize a face. It is an interesting feeling, knowing I was present from the moment he first arrived, and knowing that the Institute is his primary resource in this new stage of his life. I wish nothing but the best for him and all persons who have come from suffering countries to seek a better life. I hope we are able to live up to the promise of America, and believe strongly that the International Institute will provide positive, necessary services toward that end.

by Laura Eschbacher, Communications Intern

Today, like any other day, I went to the staff lunchroom to eat my sandwich. But this time, I found an older man and a young woman in there. He was helping her take an English test on a story she’d just read. Both looked up at me, and I smiled to assure them that I would be as quiet as possible, and try not to disturb them. I got my bag from the fridge and sat down, observing the lesson as I ate.
The tutor reminded me a lot of my grandfather. He was supportive and helpful with each question she didn’t quite understand. I wondered how he’d first heard of the International Institute, and how he came to be an English tutor here. He seemed to really love the work.
She was eager to learn and kept asking questions. She laughed when he reminded her jokingly, “now, I can’t give you the answer, that’s not the point!” She smiled in between her concentration faces. She looked up at me a few times, and I smiled back and kept chewing quietly.
Neither of them spoke to me directly, but I was still excited to have witnessed the English lesson. The man was a volunteer tutor, genuinely enjoying helping the young woman, and you could see the appreciation in her face, and the happiness when she came across the correct answer. It was a simple, but remarkable interaction to watch.
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At times during my internship, I’ve wished that I had a more active role in directly helping the people in the classes on the floor below me. (Jessica and I went to sit in on an English class once, but couldn’t stay long because the teacher was sick that day.) But when I really thought about my role here, I came to the conclusion that I’m helping out in the place where I fit best. My job is to spread the word about the Institute so that these teachers and students have financial and societal support and can continue with everything they do. I’ve never been a tutor before and I can’t speak Vietnamese, but I have written and edited blogs and audio presentations. That is my area of expertise. I’m content with my role behind the scenes. I’m happy to be the quiet, supportive person in the lunchroom, because I know that I’m helping in a way that’s hidden, but still necessary.

By Agata Szydelko, Development Intern

Have you ever had one of those days, when you felt like it can not get any worse…?
Of course you have, we all do! I had one of those days just recently.
Simply everything was going wrong! Or at least that’s how I felt, until I came across one of the books I have read over the summer; “The Long Walk” by Slavomir Rawicz. An instant sweat broke down my back, when I tried to imagine Rawicz’es escape from labor camp in Siberia during WW II, his struggle to live, his determination to be free.
During every day life, sometimes it may be hard to relate to Rawicz and his situation,
it happened so long ago…the situation was completely different….it will never happen again….not even close to be as bad, right? One would hope so…
Countries torn apart by war, domestic conflict, unemployment, hunger, disease…this is not an ancient history, this is happening now!
According to the UN Refugee Agency, over 31 million of people is considered as “the total population of concern” including refugees, asylum-seekers and stateless persons.
Wait, did I get this right, 31 million…really? I hope I will never complain about my bad day again.

As a new intern at International Institute and a foreigner myself, I highly appreciate the importance of agencies helping refugees assimilate to a new environment, making the transition to a new home as smooth as possible.

Today’s post is our first from our new Communications Intern, Andrew Chappelle. He is a graduate student at

By Ann Rynearson

This year’s stage line-ups are lead by several major dance performances. Eileen Wolfington is organizing a “Fiesta Mexicana” to celebrate, as she says, “the complex heritage of different regions of our neighbor to the south.”