Graduate School
Boston University

Undergraduate School
Union College

Mentor
Jim Segel, Chair, Rappaport Institute Advisory Board Member and Mariangely Solis Cervera, Constituency Director Michelle Wu for Boston and former Rappaport Public Policy Fellow

Agency
Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Advancement

Supervisor
Carol León, Programs Manager

Description of Fellowship
During her time as a Rapport Fellow for the City of Boston Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Advancement (MOIA), Olivia focused on developing civic engagement tools for Immigrants Lead Boston (ILB), a course for emerging immigrant leaders who wish to become advocates for their communities. One of her key projects was developing a two-fold civic capstone project. First, participants will engage in session exercises to navigate the City website to find resources. Second, participants will complete three homework assignments that offer them the opportunity to practice communicating with city officials, advocating for community needs, and engaging with the community at large.

Olivia also designed Photographs as Documentation, a project for ILB participants to create and reflect on a visual project that communicates their civic engagement experiences. This project allows MOIA to better understand the patterns and differences in people’s lived experiences of civic life and interactions with City of Boston officials and services. Through photographs and testimonies shared within this project, MOIA can gain insight into how City of Boston officials and entities can create and strengthen their relationships with the diverse immigrant communities in Boston.