Marina Grais

• Was a member of the English Second Language (ESL) initiative where she taught daily ESL and citizenship classes to a diverse array of students from Southeast Asia, the Middle East and SubSaharan Africa.
• Planned an implemented field trips to take the students to community resources that can help them with basic necessities such as food and clothing along with visits to Buffalo landmarks and educational institutions.
• After experiencing a lack of accessibility at CanalSide, started a campaign urging the governing body to make their website and programming more inclusive by providing translation and interpretation services.

“From the very first day of the program, I was in the classroom, teaching again. The High Road Fellowship gave me the hands on experience that I needed to solidify my decision to pursue an education minor. I absolutely loved working in a classroom each day.” --Marina

“Marina directly served approximately 30 students who attend our morning and afternoon classes at the Hope Refugee Drop in Center. Hopefully, the letter she has written advocating greater accessibility at Canalside will have an impact on the wider immigrant and refugee community in Buffalo. Marina worked with our team and collaborated with community partners in a knowledgeable and professional manner.”

--Anna Matejova, Program Coordinator