Ezgi Tanriver ’14 of Istanbul, Turkey, will never forget the stories she heard from refugees fleeing war and oppression.
Last year, Tanriver served as a caseworker at the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC) Resettlement Support Center for Turkey and the Middle East.
Based in Istanbul, she interviewed refugees from the Middle East and Africa who were hoping to resettle in the United States. Tanriver collected biographical data and information about refugee cases which were then submitted for consideration to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. She also took part in a missionary trip to Abu Dhabi, UAE to interview refugees there.
Tanriver found her liberal arts communication skills crucial in assisting refugees as they articulated their cases.
“The job intersected with my interest to help people and make a difference,” said Tanriver, who earned a math degree from Linfield with minors in biology and chemistry. “Although I did not have previous knowledge or background in my job, my Linfield liberal arts education helped me to succeed in an area that was so different from what I studied in my bachelors.
“Some of the people I interviewed have terrible stories to tell, and I have the chance to listen to them first hand, to learn about their situation,” she said. “I am so thankful to get the chance to work with such vulnerable people and try to help them.”
Tanriver is currently pursuing a master’s in biostatistics at Hasselt University in Belgium. She hopes to continue helping refugees through volunteer work for NGOs in Belgium.
