Olivia Amore Petipas ’21
Major: Spanish
This summer I worked as an immigration intern with the Northeast Justice Center (NJC) that is based in the cities of Lawrence, Lynn and Lowell, Massachusetts. NJC is a legal services organization that operates in the Northeast Region of Massachusetts, a region that is generally underserved because most resources and organizations are centralized in Boston. Our unit provides free legal services to immigrant communities in these areas. I worked with survivors of domestic and sexual violence, young children who came to the U.S. without a guardian, survivors of human trafficking and asylum seekers on their legal cases, but also prioritized holistic and trauma-informed care to secure basic resources like health care, housing, food and education. Unfortunately, due to anti-immigrant politics and the COVID-19 pandemic, this was very difficult. I am extremely grateful to my supervisors, clients, and community connections for their collaboration and all that they taught me.
Northeast Justice Center
Lawrence, MA
Petipas Story Map – Learn more about their experience.
