Josselin’s Story

Josselin grew up in El Salvador with her grandmother and came to the U.S. with her younger brother when she was 12 to join her mother and sister. They experienced a grueling and lonely journey of around three months before they reached the U.S. and were able to reunite with their mother, who they had not seen in many years. She says, “It was very difficult for me to adapt to this country and many of my classmates despised me…Despite everything and with the help of my mother I was able to move forward.”

Eventually, Josselin was introduced to CIS-NYC by her sister and she received support from our Legal and Social Services teams. She was able to adjust her immigration status and receive a work permit. “Father Scott Leet helped us a lot with our process and was always attentive to our case until we achieved the goal, which was to be able to have a permit to be able to work legally to help my mother, since she is the only one who looks after us.” Now that she is able to earn a living, she has had the opportunity to complete her Home Health Aide certification and pursue a degree in nursing. Josselin is also an Angel Fund Scholarship recipient. “I am heartily grateful to all the members of the organization that I have known for more than two years and that I will always remember with affection.”