Refugee Advocate Irene Soteriou Named 2021 UConn Newman Civic Fellow

Congratulations to Irene Soteriou, '23 (CLAS), who was nominated by President Thomas Katsouleas for a Newman Civic Fellowship for her investment in collaborative changemaking. The Newman Civic Fellowship recognizes and supports community-committed students who are changemakers and public problem-solvers at Campus Compact member institutions. Read the full article here.

 

***Excerpt from the article***

As a student, Soteriou has founded the annual UConn Human Rights Symposium, serves as Deputy Speaker of the Undergraduate Student Government, and works at the Center for Career Development, where she lean effort to help non-native English speakers, formerly incarcerated individuals, and others from historically underserved or marginalized communities better prepare for employment opportunities. She formed the Student Coalition for Human Rights to facilitate collaboration among human rights groups on campus, and is bringing together student groups from universities across the state to advocate collectively for refugees during the pandemic.  

“I’d like to give a special thank you to Dr. [Bradley] Wright, professor of sociology, whose work has inspired me to pursue deeper reflection, introspection, and growth, especially within the context of my identity,” Soteriou said. “I’d also like to thank Kristen Soprano, a career consultant in the Center for Career Development, who has challenged me to step outside of my comfort zone, and who has supported me through obstacles I’ve faced.