Marie Lagos, Human Development & Family Science (Messiah University)

The International Service Center (ISC) is a non-profit organization that offers immigration guidance, translation and interpretation services, among other things.  People from all over the world, who live in the state of Pennsylvania, came on a daily basis to apply for some changes of their immigration status or to apply for their family members overseas to be reunited with them in the country, just to name a few.

My internship was crucial in helping developing administrative and immigration guidance skills.

On one hand, I was introduced to the weekly IG Appointment Schedule (IGAS).  The Covid-19 virus took many organizations off guard, and the ISC mission was dramatically affected.  Before the pandemic, clients did not need to schedule their appointments prior to coming to the office.  However, in order to protect everybody’s safety it was crucial to implement measures that would regulate the amount a people who came in.  The IGAS is an important tool because it allows the person who screens the clients at the door to know important information.   Indeed, on the IGAS we can see the client’s name, time of his appointment, reason, and the caseworker’s name that is going to work with him.  I have learned to use Microsoft Excel to put this into place.

On the other hand, the weekly ISC Team Performance Outcomes (WPO) report helps to evaluate and measure the work of everyone during the week.  The entire team must submit its WPO because each one has a role in the organization.  The WPO allows the ISC’s management to know the different tasks that we perform during the week as well as the time it took.  It took me some time to know how to fully complete it because we have to use a different sheet of Microsoft Excel and the correct decimal unit of time.  However, after practicing doing it through a peer coaching system, I was able to perform this task.

Finally, the Immigration Guidance training was also a tremendous part of my internship.  I studied and practiced several application forms such as I-821D which stands for Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.  It was necessary to know how to file for DACA because the current administration with President Biden decided to re-open it.  It meant that millions of non-citizens who came to the US at a very young age could be eligible for this application.  Through webinars and readings, I could easily familiarize myself with the different rules and regulations that were put into place.  The other form that I have the opportunity to perform and learn is the Application for Employment Authorization, also known as Form I-765.  Those two forms are mostly requested by the clients, and during my time at ISC, I am able to assist the ISC’s Accredited Representative, by helping clients complete those two forms.

Lastly, as far as peer coaching is concerned, it is helpful because since I am in direct contact with other ISC’s members, I can ask them any questions.  Also, when I experience some difficulties on a given assignment, they help me understand what I am supposed to be doing.