Meet the 2018-2019 QuEST Fellows
This year I’ll be working with the United Indians of All Tribes Foundation at the Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center as Development and Communications Coordinator. I’m excited to learn more about activism and community with Indigenous peoples, and United Indians is going to be a wonderful place to grow in my own knowledge while also helping a great cause, creating closer bonds and relationships among Native Americans in the Seattle area.
The type of social justice centered on community and empathy that QuEST represents has always been important to me, and I’m glad to spend a year in a community with people as dedicated to that as I am.
Pronouns: they/they/theirs, she/her/hers
I’m the QuEST Fellow at REACH, a program of Evergreen Treatment Services. I feel passionate about exploring many areas of the organization, further developing skills around mental health counseling, and working with a team that is devoted to providing dignity and care to enhance the quality of daily life for many of Seattle’s residents. I was drawn to the site’s flexibility, openness, and philosophy of harm reduction. I’m trying my hand at case management, continuing the REACH Story Project and zine, and assisting with the gardening group. I bring my love of trying new things to meet the interests of the clients!
My hope for the QuEST group is that we feel comfortable directly communicating with each other. I’m also hoping for home-cooked meals, belly laughs, exploring the city and greater outdoors together, and sharing our creations.
Pronouns: they/them
My service position for QuEST is as Rehabilitation Counselor at TRY House, Transitional Resources. I am excited for the opportunity to devote my full time and attention to using my experience in a clinical environment and learning more about the field.
Our QuEST cohort is growing and learning together as a safe and welcoming community. I believe that community-based social action is one of the best ways to instigate real and lasting change in society and as such my hope is that we can work together in pursuit of our common values and goals.
Pronouns: he/him/his
This year I will be working at the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project as the General Intake Coordinator. Issues concerning immigration have been prominent and contentious throughout US political history, and that is certainly still true today. I believe that the dehumanization of immigrants is one of the biggest flaws of our immigration system, and I am honored and excited to work on this issue with a people-first organization like NWIRP.
I am completely new to the Seattle area, and it’s exciting call the QuEST community home! The two characteristics I hold for our community are ‘supportive’ and ‘communicative.’ I’ve loved getting to know the group and look forward to working, learning, and growing together over the next year.
Pronouns: she/her
My service site is Northwest Immigrant Rights Project where I am placed as an Intake Coordinator in the VAWA Unit (Violence Against Women Act). Before moving to Spain, I worked as the bilingual women’s advocate at a domestic violence shelter. I am grateful that this placement allows me to continue supporting domestic violence survivors, especially as they navigate our country’s broken immigration process.
QuEST community living is a chance to process, question, think critically, and learn more about our world and how to best tackle its major issues. We are building a group that challenges, supports, and uplifts each other in solidarity of our goals and intentions.
Pronouns: she/her