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Meet ourCall-In

Volunteers 2017

In New York Volunteers Make It Happen!

OLU A. AJAYI is the President of the Nigerian-American Community Association. He holds a SPS Immigration Law Certificate and has over 10 years of CUNY Citizenship Now! Call-in experience.

ARSLAN AKHTAR is a member of the Citizenship Now! Volunteer Action Committee (VAC) and a BD at an international law firm. Arslan enjoys volunteer service and giving back to the community.

MOHAMMAD AKRAM is a Trustee of NYPD Desi Society, member of National Language Service Corps and a Coro alumnus. He is an auxiliary police officer and speaks Urdu, Punjabi, Sindhi and Hindi.

GEORGE AKST earned a B.A. from Boston University, attended The Hague Academy of International Law and received his J.D. from Fordham Law. He has been practicing immigration law for over 35 years.

AIDA ALAOUIE is a Senior Academic Advisor at Borough of Manhattan Community College. She has a Bachelor of Arts in political and administrative science. Aida is fluent in Arabic.

CLAIRE ALTMAN pioneered supportive housing with one of the first single room occupancy hotels in NYC and led a number of nonprofits in aging, human service and health fields over the last 30+ years.

ALTHEA ANGUS is a student and a longtime volunteer with CUNY Citizenship Now!

BERLOTTE ANTOINE is a paralegal with the New York Legal Assistance Group. Berlotte was admitted at Wurzweiler School of Social Work/Yeshiva University for a master’s degree in social work.

LIANA ANTONENKO has experience providing legal and social services to immigrants in NYC. She is a case manager at Catholic Charities Community Services and a volunteer migration counselor.

DIANA ASATRYAN is a Deputy Editor at Royal Media. She writes about financial technology and firmly believes that everyone deserves access to help in their immigration journey.

JIHAN ASLI is a member of the CUNY Citizenship Now! Volunteer Corps.

ALYSSA BAIN is a former Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) Accredited Representative and current student at New York Law School.

WANDA BALDERA is a volunteer with CUNY Citizenship Now! and graduate student at John Jay College where she studies criminal justice, criminology and deviance and police administration.

RICHARD BARTH former Executive Director of the New York City Planning Department, is now an Executive VP with Capalino+Company, NYC’s top government and community relations firm.

JOSUE BASTIDAS is a graduate of Queens College with a double major in media communication and English. He enjoys communicating with new people, volunteering all over NYC and attending church daily.

VICTORIA BEJARANO is a member of the CUNY Citizenship Now! Volunteer Corps.

K.L.S. “RAJ” BHUSHAN is an immigration attorney with over 20 years of experience.

ALICE GAIL BIER is Senior Director of International Education and Global Engagement at Brooklyn College. Originally from Seattle via Spain, she is a committed volunteer with CUNY Citizenship Now!

RICARDO ACA is a Mexican-born photographer and immigration rights activist. In August 2015 he released a video in response to Trump’s remarks about Mexicans that was viewed over 400,000 times on YouTube.

ALBERT ADES is a Spanish-speaking attorney and former NY Chapter Chair of AILA. He has been practicing in all areas of immigration law for over 35 years.

GLADYS AGUILAR attends John Jay College and majors in criminal justice with a minor in law studies and criminology. As an immigrant herself, she has a passion for helping other immigrants.


LEONIE BORELAND is a paralegal and graduate student at The City College of New York. She is a native of Jamaica, West Indies. As a former immigrant, she enjoys giving back to the immigrant community.

JULIANA BRIJESKI is a volunteer with Citizenship Now! She was born in Croatia, is a graduate of LaGuardia Community College and is a retired member of DC 37. She has lived in NYC for over 40 years.

LILIANA BUCUR is an International Consultant at the UN. She has a master’s degree in international affairs and planning from Hunter College. This is her ninth year volunteering with Citizenship Now!

ELISE BURTON partner with the law firm of O’Reilly Burton LLP, specializes in immigration and human rights law, as well as not-for-profit law. She is a strong supporter of CUNY Citizenship Now!

HILDA BUSTAMANTE is passionate about helping immigrant communities by providing access to useful information and referrals.

IRENE BYHOVSKY is a judicial law clerk in Essex County, NJ. Prior to her clerkship, she served as an intern in the NYC Council, Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office and NYC Criminal Court.

ELBIA CABRAL is a social service worker dedicated to serving minorities and is pursuing a master’s in social psychology. She is passionate about advocacy and reforming the immigration system.

ANGELO CABRERA is Founder and Board Member of Masa and The American Dream Charter School. In 2001, Angelo organized a hunger striker to help pass the New York State In-State-Tuition Law.

ELISEO CABRERA is a staff attorney with CUNY Citizenship Now!

MONICA CABRERA is a student at Queens College and wants to become a bilingual teacher.

IRMA CALDERON has been an immigration project assistant at Sanctuary for Families since February 2015. She graduated from Barnard College in May 2013. She is fluent in Spanish.

NORMA CALDERON currently works with CUNY CIS as a Graphic Designer. A native of Ecuador, she likes to give back to the community.

CHLOE CAMPOS is a volunteer with CUNY Citizenship Now!

SANTA CANESSA is a volunteer with CUNY Citizenship Now! and a student at Hunter College. She hopes to attend the School of Education and eventually obtain a master’s in bilingual childhood education.

JULIAN CANTO is a project engineer working for a better world and a volunteer with CUNY Citizenship Now!

SOFIA CARRENO is the Communications and College Relations Specialist at CUNY Citizenship Now!

SERGIO CARRILLO is a member of the CUNY Citizenship Now! Volunteer Corps.

MICHAEL CATALIOTTI is the Principal of Cataliotti Law P.C., a published author in sports and entertainment immigration, and a regular speaker and lecturer about business immigration and transactions.

DIANA BISONO is an immigration paralegal and student at the New York City College of Technology. After graduating, she plans to attend law school.

TAMARA R. BLOOM is the Managing Attorney for Community Events at CUNY Citizenship Now! She is a graduate of Binghamton University and CUNY School of Law.

NANCIE BONILLA is a senior at Lehman College. She was a first responder during the 9/11 attacks, is a cancer survivor and a first responder for the Red Cross. She is also a volunteer with NYIC.


JIAN CHEN is a volunteer with CUNY Citizenship Now! She recently passed the New York Bar exam and plans to devote her full energy to immigration legal service.

SANDRA CHENG is an attorney practicing business immigration law with offices in New York. A graduate of St. John’s University School of Law, she is fluent in Cantonese.

SUSAN CHONG has been a paralegal with CUNY Citizenship Now! since January 2005. She is fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese.

ADRIANA S. CIRES is a New York attorney who has an LL.M. in International Legal Studies from NYU. She is fluent in Romanian and French.

CHAS CLARK has been at Bank of America Merrill Lynch since 1999 and is currently the Consumer Underwriting Strategy Operations & Enablement Executive. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Union College.

VALERIE COBURN-LICTENSTEIN is Executive Assistant to the COO at Capalino+Company, NYC’s top government and community relations firm, is a volunteer with Citizenship Now! and second generation American.

MARIA COOK is a volunteer with CUNY Citizenship Now! and serves as the Executive Counsel to the President and Labor Designee at LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City.

YESENIA CORTES is a volunteer with CUNY Citizenship Now! and a counselor/advocate for victims of domestic abuse, with a background in criminal justice. She hopes to attend law school in the future.

WROLF COURTNEY is a computer specialist with the MTA and an immigrant from England. As a naturalized citizen, he feels honored to help others on the same path.

MADELINE CRUZ is responsible for day-to-day coordination of Single Stop and college services including outreach to students, benefits screening/application processes and referrals.

MICHAEL DE LUCA is an accredited representative at Our Lady’s Center for Immigrants in Queens. He is a former Immigration Inspector and is fluent in Italian and Spanish.

ANNA DEMIDCHIK is NY-licensed attorney and a founder of Demidchik Law Firm, PLLC which focuses on immigration and criminal law.

MARIATOU DIALLO is a Biomedical Informatics student at New York City College of Technology.

YVETTE DOLDRON sits on the CUNY Citizenship Now! Volunteer Action Committee (VAC) as a veteran member. She has been an advocate for immigrants in her community for years.

ANGIE DOSTALY is a member of the CUNY Citizenship Now! Volunteer Corps. She is an immigration paralegal, public service advocate and interpreter assisting the Haitian immigrant community.

SIMONE DUNCAN is a member of the CUNY Citizenship Now! Volunteer Corps and a CUNY student. She enjoys giving back to her community, networking and learning new skills as a volunteer.

ELISE DUNN is an intern with the firm of O’Reilly Burton LLP. She wants to learn more about the U.S. immigration system and is looking forward to working with the immigrant community.

GLORIA DUQUE has been a volunteer with CUNY Citizenship Now! at the Flushing Immigration Center since 2016. She enjoys helping the community with issues related to immigration.

VICKY CEDENO is the Annual Giving Engagement Specialist at Queens College. Volunteering for CUNY Citizenship Now! is a rewarding experience in her quest to contribute to public service.

EVANGELINE M. CHAN is an eighth year volunteer for the Call-In. She is an attorney practicing exclusively in the area of immigration and nationality law.

ANNASTACIA CHARLES graduated with a bachelor’s in sociology and legal studies from Hunter College. She is paying her education and immigrant experience forward by volunteering with Citizenship Now!


ANDRES ESTEVEZ is a junior at CUNY Baccalaureate for Unique and Interdisciplinary Studies concentrating in philosophy of law and economics. He is an administrative assistant at CUNY Citizenship Now!

JONATHAN EUSTACHE a motorman with NYC Transit, has volunteered with Citizenship Now! for over eight years and speaks fluent French and Creole. He loves helping people.

LISA EVELYN is a Student Wellness Specialist and Programs Director at Medgar Evers College where she provides direct services, support and programming for women and LGBTQI students.

VALERIE FARKAS is senior counsel at Bloomberg L.P. and the founding chair of the Bloomberg Legal Department’s pro bono program, launched in April 2016.

JENNIFER FERNANDEZ is the City Council Program Coordinator at CUNY Citizenship Now! and is also pursuing her bachelor’s degree in economics, textiles and apparel at Queens College.

LEIDY FERNANDEZ is a student who hopes in the future to speak several languages. Her greatest happiness is knowing that with her help she can make others happy.

ELIA FLORES-GARCIA is a DREAMer student from Mexico. She is a medical research assistant, biotechnology student and a TheDream.us scholarship recipient from the Jaime Lucero Mexican Studies Institute.

RAYMOND FOUREAU is a volunteer with CUNY Citizenship Now! and works in the John Jay College IT Department.

CRYSTAL FRANKLIN is a paralegal within the Legal Affairs and Labor Relations office at LaGuardia Community College.

MAUREEN GARVEY is a librarian and assistant professor at CUNY who loves helping people find reliable information and has used Citizenship Now! services herself. She volunteers to give back.

ANFORD GAYLE is a volunteer with CUNY Citizenship Now! and a student at Brooklyn College where he studies political science. He hopes to attend law school upon graduation.

ILJIRIJANA GLAVATOVIC is a legal assistant with CUNY Citizenship Now! She graduated from City College majoring in political science and minoring in public policy. She hopes to attend law school soon.

EUGENE GLICKSMAN is a partner of the Law Offices of Glicksman & Cardoso. He is Co-Chair of the Immigration & Nationality Committee of the New York County Lawyers’ Association and is fluent in Spanish.

MERLYN GONZALEZ is a volunteer with CUNY Citizenship Now! She’s a former John Jay College student where she obtained her bachelor’s in criminal justice. She hopes to join the NYPD in the future.

CHARLES J. GRIFFIN ESQ. has held various corporate roles leading immigration, global mobility and individual tax programs at large multinational employers. He is also a volunteer with Citizenship Now!

XIAI (ESTHER) GRUMBACHER is a paralegal with 18 years of immigration law experience. She works at the law office of Levan Natalishvili.

JOSHIANA GUAMAN has been the Bilingual Legal Clerk at EIIC since 2013. She will start her first year of law school at PACE in August. She’s excited to be back at her alma mater John Jay.

RITA GUILLEN works for CUNY in the Computing Information Services Department as an IT Support/Administrative Assistant. She looks forward to her participation in the call-in.

LAMPETO EFTHYMIOU is the International Student Life Manager and Designated School Official for the Center for International Affairs, Immigration and Study Abroad at Queensborough Community College.

CHRIS EKAWU is an immigrant from Nigeria who studies sports management and physical education at Brooklyn College. He is also a member of the Citizenship Now! Volunteer Action Committee (VAC).

CAMILO ESPINOSA is the Managing Attorney for LOIGICA. He advises U.S. and foreign companies on a wide range of immigration matters. He earned a law degree from Nova Southeastern University.


FRANKEMI HERNANDEZ studies public administration at Hostos Community College. He is currently on the path to become a U.S. citizen and enjoys helping others.

JEANNY HERNANDEZ is a volunteer with CUNY Citizenship Now! and a student at John Jay College, where she studies forensic psychology and law. She hopes to attend law school upon graduation.

LIISA M. HERNANDEZ, ESQ. is a solo practitioner focused primarily in the area of immigration law. She believes in what she does and works hard to assist her clients in obtaining lawful status.

KARINA JAUREGUI is an engineer who worked at non-profits abroad to help those in need. As a resident in the U.S., she wants to give back to the community.

AMINU JIBRIN is a volunteer with CUNY Citizenship Now!

JANIS JIMENEZ graduated from City College with a bachelor’s in English with honors. She currently works as paralegal with CUNY Citizenship Now! and plans to continue her graduate studies in literature.

EWINS JULIEN is a volunteer with CUNY Citizenship Now! He is also a licensed Associate Real Estate Broker with ESP Realty, Inc.

ZILA KATZ is an attorney born and raised in NYC to immigrant parents. Practicing only immigration law for 16 years, Ms. Katz assists people to realize their dream of living and working in the U.S.

ANNA KEYE is a defender of immigrant rights, progressive activist and firm believer in tolerance and diversity.

ANGELA KHASHAFYAN is a volunteer with Citizenship Now! and Director at Bell Language School. She has 17 years of experience as an international student advisor.

NADER KHORASSANI is an entertainment attorney with a passion for fighting for immigrants rights. As the son of an Iranian immigrant, he knows the value immigrants bring to the United States.

LEE KOCH is a veteran of the United States Air Force and a graduate of John Jay College and New York Law School.

EWA KORNACKA is the Executive Director of Polonians Organized to Minister to Our Community, Inc. She has over 20 years of experience in immigration assistance and is fluent in Polish.

RUTH LARYEA-WALKER is a volunteer with CUNY Citizenship Now! She obtained a bachelor’s degree from Baruch College in political science, psychology and French and plans to attend law school.

POLINA LEMBERG is an accredited representative at Boro Park Jewish Community Council. She has fifteen years experience in immigration legal services and speaks fluent Russian and Ukrainian.

ANDRÉS LEMONS is Supervising Attorney with CUNY Citizenship Now! at the Window for Citizenship and Migration Services at the Consulate General of Mexico in New York.

JENNY LINES is a volunteer with CUNY Citizenship Now! and an alumna of John Jay College, where she studied economics and politics. She plans to attend Brooklyn Law School and become a labor attorney.

LIZA LINTON has been a volunteer with CUNY Citizenship Now! for over seven years and is an employee at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

ROSANA GUTIERREZ is a volunteer with CUNY Citizenship Now! and a student at Hunter College. She hopes to continue her work as a bilingual teacher and an advocate for her students and their families.

VANESSA GUTIERREZ a volunteer with Citizenship Now! and student at John Jay majoring in criminology and international criminal justice, plans to pursue a master’s in international crime and justice.

FERDIE HEADLAM is an eleventh year volunteer at the Call-In. He studied advanced immigration law at CUNY School of Professional Studies and is also a tax professional.


CEZANNE LYTE is a human resources management student pursing her master’s at Stony Brook University and a longtime Citizenship Now! volunteer with aspirations of being an immigration lawyer.

KAYDEEN MAITLAND is a nurse paralegal at Social Security Disability and Immigration Advocates, LLC, where she helps clients receive disability and immigration benefits. She is a graduate of UCONN.

MAURICE DAVID MAITLAND has always had a passion to help people in his faith based community. He has been recognized as a Pro Bono Champion by the American Immigration Lawyers’ Association.

MAURICE MAITLAND JR. is a legal assistant at Social Security Disability and Immigration Advocates, LLC. He is also a student at University of Connecticut.

MARIA MALDONADO is a Board Director of New Women New Yorkers, an organization assisting young women immigrants in NYC and has an advanced certificate in immigration law.

JULIA MANACHER is a volunteer with CUNY Citizenship Now! and a paralegal at Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy.

SUSAN MANUEL, after careers as a journalist and public information officer for UN peacekeeping, has been writing for PassBlue.com and working with sanctuary movements in upstate New York.

STANLEY MARK is a Senior Staff Attorney at Asian American Legal Defense & Education Fund. He conducts legal clinics, registers new citizens to vote and advocates for 9/11 healthcare and research.

FRIDA B. MARTE is a volunteer at CUNY Citizenship Now! and graduate student at CUNY School of Professional Studies. She completed the advanced certificate program in immigration law this spring.

ROSEMARIE MARTINEZ is a Multilingual Communications Specialist and English Program Recruiter. She works with skilled immigrants and studies immigration law at CUNY School of Professional Studies.

EBONI MASON is the Events Manager for CUNY Citizenship Now! She graduated from City College and has a master’s degree from MCNY. She is currently studying project management at CUNY SPS.

MICHELE-ANN MCLAREN studied at SUNY Queens Educational Opportunity Center.

VIVIENNE MCLEAN is a Community Events Assistant at CUNY Citizenship Now! This is her eleventh call-in. She holds an Immigration Law Certificate from the CUNY School of Professional Studies.

ANN MARIE MCNAMEE is a Graphic Designer with CUNY Citizenship Now! She holds a Paralegal Studies Certificate from Westchester Community College.

CHERYL MCNEIL works in the Office of Student Affairs at Medgar Evers College and advises students personally and professionally to ensure that they graduate and con-tinue on to fulfilling careers.

SAFEENA MECKLAI is an Associate VP at Capalino+Company, NYC’s top government and community relations firm. A CUNY Citizenship Now! volunteer, she is an immigrant from Canada and recent U.S. citizen.

ANAHI MENDOZA is an Immigrant Justice Corps Fellow at Human Rights First. Anahi advocates to end family detention and previously worked with Central American families detained in Dilley, Texas.

YESENIA MERINO is a student at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a member of the CUNY Service Corps. She plans to attend law school with hopes of becoming an immigration lawyer.

EMIL LISSAUER is new volunteer with CUNY Citizenship Now! He is also a Senior Vice President at Capalino+Company, a NYC government and community relations firm.

VALENTINA LOAIZA is a volunteer with CUNY Citizenship Now! She is a junior at Peekskill High School and aspires to major in international relations.

CARMEN LOPEZ DE LINERO was born in Mexico City and came to the U.S. in 1997 with her family. She currently works in Port Chester, NY doing outreach.


NINA MORGENLANDER is a Foreign Student Adviser for the College of Staten Island. This is her fourth year volunteering with CUNY Citizenship Now!

MARIBEL MORUA is the Director of the Department of International Student and Scholar Services at The City College of New York and is a member of the National Association of Foreign Student Advisors.

NANDANIE MOTILALL is a paralegal and has worked with attorneys in New York for 20 years. She is a resident of Queens, New York and has a passion for assisting people.

CAITLIN MULLAN is an immigration attorney who focuses on business and family-based immigration matters. She has been volunteering with CUNY Citizenship Now! since 2015.

ALFREDO MURGA is a Partner at Hua & Murga LLP, an immigration law firm. He has over ten years of experience in the field of family-based immigration, naturalization and LGBT asylum cases.

CINDY K. NANTON is a contract paralegal with more than 10 years of law firm and in-house legal experience. She is a proud member of the NYC Paralegal Association and the Court Navigator Program.

NEETIKA NATH is a volunteer with Citizenship Now! and a graduate student at Baruch College where she studies information systems. She was born in India and has lived in seven different countries.

VICTORIA NEILSON is the Legal Director of Immigrant Justice Corps, the country’s first immigration legal fellowship program. She is also an adjunct professor at CUNY School of Law.

KAREN NORMIL is an Immigration Justice Corps Community Fellow at the Brooklyn Public Library where she provides legal services to low income communities. She is fluent in Haitian Creole and French.

TOPACIO NUNEZ is a volunteer with CUNY Citizenship Now! and a student at John Jay College, where she studies law and society. She hopes to attend law school upon graduation.

MUHAMMAD OKOROHA is a volunteer with CUNY Citizenship Now! He majored in legal assistant studies at NYC College of Technology and plans to pursue an advanced certificate in immigration law at CUNY.

JOHN ONGLEY is a CUNY Citizenship Now! fan and volunteer. He teaches logic, philosophy of science and legal reasoning at Lehman College in the Bronx.

LYDIA PADILLA practices immigration law in NYC and does pro bono work with a number of organizations. She has been an attorney since 1985. She speaks Spanish and French.

KRISTIN PALMASON is VP of Compliance at Capalino+Company, NYC’s top government and community relations firm and a CUNY Citizenship Now! volunteer.

MICHAEL PATRICK retired from the private practice of law in 2016 after 38 years of practice, the last 26 as a partner at Fragomen Worldwide. He now focuses on pro bono and assisting non-profits.

SANYA PAUL has volunteered with Citizenship Now! since 2009. She works in the financial industry. She graduated from John Jay with a major in law and society and minor in dispute resolution.

LUIS PAULINO is Volunteer and Training Coordinator with Citizenship Now!’s National Initiative, graduate of CCNY with a bachelor’s in political science, and hopes to attend law school in Fall 2018.

LYNDON PHILBERT is an IT Assistant with CUNY Citizenship Now! and a graduate of Medgar Evers College, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in English. He hopes to attend law school in the future.

CINDY MEYERS-BARRINGTON has been a volunteer with CUNY Citizenship Now! for over seven years. She also oversees a peer mentorship college retention program at NYCCT.

LIVIA MIKCOVA speaks four languages and has a bachelor’s degree in psychology. Her dedication to helping immigrants has driven her to volunteer with the CUNY Citizenship Now! Call-In since 2013.

PATRICIA MILTON-CHRISTIE worked on Wall St. for over 25 years and hopes to become a lawyer. She has a certificate in immigration law from CUNY School of Professional Studies and enjoys volunteering.


NORMA POTROS, ESQ. has over ten years of experience in the immigration field. She offers pro bono legal advice and Know-Your-Rights forums at Latino churches and organizations. She teaches at BMCC.

BRYANT QUITO is a student at Baruch College, where he studies philosophy and mathematics. Bryant hopes to attend law school and become a prominent voice in the Latino community.

SHAWN RAHMAN is a contract attorney with CUNY Citizenship Now!, and has proudly attended every Citizenship Now! event for the past 18 months. He graduated summa cum laude from Queens College.

GLORIA RAMIREZ is a foreign attorney with more than 20 years of experience in the U.S. She is responsible for advising and advocating for individual and corporate clients on immigration matters.

JULIA RAMIREZ is a proud Chicana student at John Jay College of Criminal Justice where she is finishing her master’s in public administration. She is passionate about her Latinx community.

GABRIELA RAMÍREZ VARGAS is Assistant Director of Ronald H. Brown Law School Prep Program at John Jay College. She has a bachelor’s from Syracuse University and master’s from American University.

YANFEI RAN has extensive experience in immigration law from her time at various companies across the U.S. As a managing attorney at ML and CHEN, PC she looks forward to serving the community.

MELISSA REBOLLEDO is a first time volunteer with CUNY Citizenship Now! She studies social work and psychology at SUNY Plattsburgh and plans to work with a nonprofit organization to help immigrant families.

DELCIA REID is a volunteer social worker for the Emmanuel Seventh Day Church ministers and an intern social worker with the law firm of Maurice D. Maitland. She is employed with AHRC.

NERCY RODRIGUEZ is a Citizenship Now! volunteer and student at Queensborough Community College, where she studies performing arts. She hopes to travel the world to create cultural understanding.

ANA M. RONZEL is a volunteer with CUNY Citizenship Now!

CARMEN ROSARIO graduated from CUNY with a bachelor’s degree in legal studies. Her parents are immigrants which inspires her to help those that need it most.

LEONARDO RUBIO is an Army veteran that served four years in the military as an attack helicopter repairman, attended Devry University and now works as a fire alarm technician.

EDIE SACCOMANDI is a member of the CUNY Citizenship Now! Volunteer Corps.

LINDSAY SAFRAN is Director of Communications at Capalino+Company where she handles the firm’s marketing efforts. She previously worked with Governor Andrew M. Cuomo in the Executive Chamber.

RICARDO SALAZAR is former actor with Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre. He is now the owner of United Productions Co. Inc. Since becoming a citizen in 2014, he volunteers to give back to the community.

ORIANA SANCHEZ is an immigrant advocate and has worked in the immigration field for the past ten years. She is also a current member of the CUNY Citizenship Now! Volunteer Action Committee (VAC).

BROOKE SCHAFRAN an EVP at Capalino+Company, NYC’s top government and community relations firm, is a Citizenship Now! volunteer, third generation NYer and has lived in California, Bermuda and Mexico.

MARJORIE PIERRE is a member of the CUNY Citizenship Now! Volunteer Corps.

CORINNE PINA came to the U.S. in 1996 on a student visa and was a victim of 9/11. When facing deportation she reached out to Sen. Hillary Clinton’s office who helped her become a citizen.

MELISSA PORTILLO is a graduate of Baruch College with over three years of experience in community outreach and immigrant services. She aspires to become an immigration attorney.


JANE SHAN obtained a Master of Science degree from University of Bristol, UK. She is the Office Manager of NYIS Law Firm.

THOMAS J. SHEA is the supervising attorney at CUNY Xpress in northern Manhattan.

ZACHARY SHULTZ is the Volunteer Engagement Coordinator with CUNY Citizenship Now! He has a master’s in Latin American studies from Tulane University and speaks Spanish and Portuguese.

ELENA SOKTOEVA is a student at CCNY in International Studies is also a volunteer for We Are New York ESL sessions. She enjoys volunteering at CAIR Coalition’s Hotline and GLN Russian classes in Washington DC.

GABY SONBERG is a legal assistant with CUNY Citizenship Now! and a 2012 graduate of Baruch College. She is currently studying to take the LSAT in September.

ZOAUNNE SOSA RAMIREZ is currently working as a Court Interpreter. She completed her bachelor’s in 2013 at CityTech and is a long-time volunteer with Citizenship Now!

JOHN STAHL is an attorney and the Director of Immigration Legal Services at the Emerald Isle Immigration Center in Queens and the Bronx. He has over 20 years of experience in immigration law.

LEANN D. STANICK is a Partner and Co-Founder at Stanick & El-Naggar, a NYC-based immigration and human rights law firm. She is licensed to practice in NY and NJ, and is a member of AILA.

KELLI STEPHENS, a Compliance Associate with Capalino+Company and Citizenship Now! volunteer, did her undergrad and post-grad education in socio-environmental studies and sustainability management.

CHRISTIAN J. SUAREZ is a volunteer with CUNY Citizenship Now! since May 2016 and is an immigrant from Colombia. He is a senior at Rutgers University majoring in public and nonprofit administration.

FORREST SUNG recently graduated from Wheaton College with a Bachelor of Arts in sociology and hopes to attend law school in order to serve his community.

HARRY TAPIAS is co-founder of LOIGICA and serves as the law firm’s business visa attorney. He has a bachelor’s in finance and marketing from DePaul University and a law degree from Nova Southeastern.

TRAVIS TERRY is Chief Operating Officer of Capalino+Company, a government relations and strategic consulting firm. He also sits on the Board of Directors of several non-profits and lives in Queens.

CLAIRE R. THOMAS is an attorney who focuses her practice on immigration and human rights. She teaches at New York Law School.

MARK THOMPSON is a volunteer with CUNY Citizenship Now! He is an Executive Vice President with Capalino+Company, a graduate of Harvard University and the University of Southern California.

SAYYID TIRMIZI, a NY Chapter Coordinator of National Language Service Corps, has been a volunteer for Citizenship Now! for four years, a certified career coach, ESL teacher and former AmeriCorps member.

SUZANNE TOMATORE, ESQ. is Co-Director of the Immigrant Justice Project at the City Bar Justice Center.

MICHAEL TRUJILLO is a volunteer with MIRA USA and Citizenship Now! He is the Practice and Business Development Administrator at NY Medicine Doctors and production manager at AdictivoTV TeleMundo47.

BRITTANY SCHOEPP-WONG is a volunteer with CUNY Citizenship Now! and practices higher education law. She is a graduate of Columbia Law School.

NATASHA SCOTT works at Capalino+Company and volunteers with CUNY Citizenship Now! and the African American Genealogy Group. She is an FIT alum.

HENRY SEGGERMAN is a Know Your Rights Forum Volunteer Leader for MOIA, organizing immigrant outreach around NYC. He is also a committed volunteer for Citizenship Now!, Success Academies, IRC and NALEO.


CYNTHIA VASQUEZ is a volunteer with CUNY Citizenship Now! and an Admissions Advisor at Lehman College. She has used CUNY Citizenship Now! services herself and is soon to become a U.S. Citizen.

DIANA VASQUEZ is a CUNY Citizenship Now! legal assistant at city council members offices, graduated from John Jay College majoring in political science and is hoping to attend law school next year.

JENNIFFER VASQUEZ FELIX works for CUNY Citizenship Now! as an administrative assistant. She currently studies criminal justice law and dreams of practicing immigration law.

MIRNA VELASQUEZ is Congressman Joe Crowley’s Director of Immigration Affairs. She acts as his grassroots representative and assists individuals with high-profile immigration and human rights cases.

CAROL VENTOUR is a wife and mother of two lovely girls. She enjoys giving back to the community as often as possible and has a passion for learning.

KRISCIA B. VIGIL works for Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice where she assists in the Department of Immigration and Public Benefits. She is fluent in Spanish and English.

LUIS VILLANUEVA was born in Panama and attended Miami Dade College, Florida International University and Nova Southeastern College of Law. He is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese.

CAROL VILSAINT MORTIMER is a volunteer with Citizenship Now! and CUNY School of Professional Studies alumna, where she studied immigration law. She has a passion for law and hopes to become a lawyer.

SOPHIA WALSH-NEWMAN is an experienced paralegal and has volunteered with CUNY Citizenship Now! for the past five years. She has taken courses in immigration law and immigration policy.

VERA WEEKES has over 10 years of immigration experience assisting the community with immigration issues, most recently as a BIA Accredited Representative with CUNY Citizenship Now!

ALLAN WERNICK is the Executive Director of CUNY Citizenship Now!

SIAN WILLSON is a volunteer with CUNY Citizenship Now! and a MeltMethod instructor.

ELSA WILSON is a NY-admitted lawyer who is a volunteer with CUNY Citizenship Now! She is an immigrant and she has represented indigenous peoples and worked as an environmental lawyer.

KEISHA WILSON is the director of an international student and scholar office at a CUNY institution. This is her sixth year participating in the Call-In.

LORENZ WOLFFERS is an immigration attorney who focuses on employment based non-immigrant and immigrant petitions as well as on family based immigration.

PATRICK WONG is an International Student Advisor, student at John Jay College in the master’s of public administration program for inspection and oversight, and a volunteer with CUNY Citizenship Now!

JIEMIN YANG is a freelance artist and a graphic designer with CUNY Citizenship Now! He holds a bachelor’s degree in graphic design and dance from Macaulay Honors College at Queens College.

THERESA YANNI of the Law Office of Theresa Yanni, is an immigration attorney based in New York and Washington, DC.

INNA TRYASUGINA is a volunteer with Citizenship Now! and a student at CUNY School of Professional Studies where she studies immigration law. She hopes to become a lawyer one day.

OKSANA TUNCER is a volunteer with CUNY Citizenship Now! and an LLM student at Fordham School of Law. Upon graduation she strives to be admitted to practice law and serve the New York community.

ARTURO URENA is an accredited representative working at Immigrant Justice Corps as a Community Fellow. He graduated from John Jay College of Criminal Justice.


MARCUS YI is a staff attorney with CUNY Citizenship Now!

SERENA ZOU is in her senior year at Baruch College majoring in corporate communication. In 2014, Serena was a year-long volunteer at Selfhelp Senior Center where she contributed over 200 hours.

MARIBEL ALVAREZ is a member of the CUNY Citizenship Now! Volunteer Corps.

NORMA AYALA is a coordinator for immigration and public benefits services at Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice.

JESSE BENJAMIN is a volunteer with CUNY Citizenship Now! and a Certified Public Accountant who has worked with non-profits, government agencies and assists New York residents with their finances.

PIA CARDENAS is a volunteer with CUNY Citizenship Now! and a student at Brooklyn College. She is pursuing a master’s degree in global business and finance.

CHRISTOPHER CAROZZA is a member of the CUNY Citizenship Now! Volunteer Corps.

MARLENY CASTANO is a volunteer with Citizenship Now! She enjoys helping people with overcoming barriers to the naturalization process. She is an immigrant from Colombia.

ANA M. CASTILLO is a member of the CUNY Citizenship Now! Volunteer Corps.

ANGELA COOPER has been a volunteer with Citizenship Now! for over 10 years. She enjoys giving back to the community and assisting immigrants on their path to citizenship.

STEPHANIE CORDOVA RODRIGUEZ is a volunteer with CUNY Citizenship Now! and is currently a television-radio major with a double minor in Spanish and sports studies at Ithaca College.

PATRICIA CRUZ is a volunteer with MIRA USA and the Maria Luisa de Moreno International Foundation. Her volunteer experience has taught her important skills for dealing with people.

BETTY ESCOBAR is a volunter with CUNY Citizenship Now! and a student at Medgar Evers College, where she studies at the School of Science and plans to attend nursing school.

ADELE GLASGOW is a volunteer with CUNY Citizenship Now! and a New York State Auditor.

VANESSA GONZALEZ is an attorney at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. She lives in NJ with her husband and two children and is proud to be a first generation American of Spanish and Cuban immigrants.

NATALKA GRINCHUK is a member of the CUNY Citizenship Now! Volunteer Corps.

DORA HENAO is an active member of MIRA USA and studied business administration. She hopes to continue her studies in business and currently works for an insurance company.

HECTOR HERNANDEZ is a member of the CUNY Citizenship Now! Volunteer Corps.

AMALIA HERNANDEZ is a volunteer with MIRA USA and CUNY Citizenship Now!

KARL JAGDIPSINGH is a student of New York City College of Technology. He has a bachelor’s in communication design and is returning for an associates in computer science. TAEJONG KIM is a member of the CUNY Citizenship Now! Volunteer Corps.

KENNJI KIZUKA is an Immigrant Justice Corps Legal Fellow at Human Rights First, where he represents asylum seekers.

HENRY LAJARA is an accredited representative and a director in the office of Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice. He provides direct services including immigration and public benefit entitlements.

GABY LAPUS is a graduate of Yale College and University of Pennsylvania Law School. She has had numerous visas (B-2, F-1, H1-B, H4-B), is a Philippine citizen and has applied for naturalization.

SIMON LAU is a College Assistant working at John Jay College Of Criminal Justice in the Department Of Information Technology.

NURYS LAUREANO is a member of the CUNY Citizenship Now! Volunteer Corps. CHARLES LEE is a volunteer with CUNY Citizenship Now! and is bilingual in English and Mandarin.

ATIYA MANDANI is a volunteer with Citizenship Now! and a liberal arts and sciences professor at Mandl College. She hopes to teach psychology, sociology, law and ethics courses at CUNY in the future. DANIELA MARKOWICZ is a mother of 2 young boys, a licensed LCSW and speaks Spanish. She is an advocate for immigrant rights, criminal justice reform and progressive political leaders/policies.

MAYRA MELENDEZ is a Community Fellow with the Immigrant Justice Corps. ARLENE ORTIZ is a volunteer with CUNY Citizenship Now! She is a student at LaGuardia Community College majoring in human services and is the Immigrant Services Case Specialist at OBT.

NIEVES PAYANO is a volunteer with CUNY Citizenship Now! and student of accounting at Baruch College. She enjoys helping others. GONZALO PAZMINO is a long-time volunteer with Citizenship Now! He holds an advanced certificate in immigration law studies and works as an ESL teacher.

ELIZABETH PERDOMO is a Project Director at CUNY’s LaGuardia Community College. She is an active volunteer of MIRA USA, an organization dedicated to raising the quality of life of immigrants.

JESUS PEREZ is Executive Director of CUNY’s Mexican Task Force and Brooklyn College Center for Academic Advisement and Student Success, which strengthens education opportunities for Mexican communities.

NHU PHAN is a volunteer with CUNY Citizenship Now! and a junior at John Jay College of Criminal Justice where she plans to pursue a career in international law.


LESLIE RAMIREZ is a first-time volunteer with CUNY Citizenship Now! and a student at Queensborough Community College, where she majors in forensic science.

GLYNN RUDICH is a volunteer with CUNY Citizenship Now! She worked for many years as a clinical social worker and as an administrator at the School of Social Work at Hunter College. She is now retired.

SANDRA RUSSO is a volunteer with Citizenship Now! and student at NYC College of Technology working on her third baccalaureate degree in law and paralegal studies. She plans to attend law school.

YENNIFER SANTANA is a volunteer with Citizenship Now! and a student at CUNY School of Professional Studies, where she is working towards an advanced certificate in immigration law.

IRENE TRELOAR is counsel at Bloomberg L.P. where she handles data and technology licensing matters. She is a child of naturalized U.S citizens and a repeat volunteer for CUNY Citizenship Now!

BRIAN WAGNER is a Senior VP at Capalino+Company, NYC’s leading government and community relations firm, and a CUNY Citizenship Now! volunteer.

PRIYA WARSLIE has been a paralegal for over ten years. She currently works at the Law Office of Edon H. Warslie, P.C.

TANIA WOLF is a volunteer with CUNY Citizenship Now!, Make the Road NY Aliadxs, and ACLU People Power. She studied at City College and hopes to attend graduate school for Latin American studies.

RICHARD YEUNG is a John Jay graduate student with a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice.

SUSIE ZEIGER last participated as a volunteer for the Call-In in 2015. She has been an English as a Second Language teacher for the past 40 years and is fluent in Haitian Creole and French.

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