Meet Our International Professionals Program Graduates (Spring 2021 Cohort)
On April 1, 2021, The Welcoming Center celebrated the graduation of 11 International Professionals Program (IPP) participants, representing seven countries across the globe. IPP is an eight-week course for career readiness training followed by six months of job coaching. It brings together a diverse group of international professionals with bachelor’s degrees or higher and U.S. work authorization seeking to enter the U.S. workforce through employment or fellowship opportunities. Below you will find profiles of eight of our graduates.
Hello! I am Boralda Bilcari and I graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Engineering from Polytechnic University of Tirana and a Master’s Degree in Energy from Faculty of Civil Engineering. I have worked as a Breakfast Coach at Taco Bell Spruce Restaurant for a year and half after I emigrated from Albania to the USA in 2018. I am looking for a position in environmental engineering and speak English, Albanian, Greek in addition to a proficiency in energy project management. I am excited about the possibility of working with your company!
Hello! I am Aminata Keita from Guinea and I graduated with a Bachelor’s in Political Science. I have 10 years of professional experience in compliance and customer service in the banking industry, but I am making a career change into human services. I have a passion for working with people and would like to use my extensive customer service experience and current involvement with local nonprofit organizations to obtain a position working with immigrants and refugees. I have worked as an Interpreter for HIAS and Voter Support Staff for the Philadelphia City Commissioners Office. I speak English, Madingo, Susu, and French as well. I have strong problem-solving and analytical skills and proficiency in MS Office, database maintenance, and mainstream software. I am passionate about supporting the immigrant community and am excited about the possibility of working with your company!
Hello! I am Amel Kherbachene. I came from my native Algeria 6 years ago. I hold a Bachelor’s degree focused in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. With over five years of experience as a Finishing Operator, I take a professional approach to ensure finished products are perfect. I am heavily experienced in the use of state-of-the-art quality assurance instruments and well-aware of how to direct attention to any issues found in the production process, using sophisticated visual and instrument assisted technology, and have performed microscopic level inspection of medical implant components. I am skilled in assembling, deburring, sandblasting, polishing, tumbling, washing, sterilizing, and packaging of conforming parts for use in surgical procedures. I speak four different languages Berber, French, Arabic and English and Berber. I am looking for a position in biology or biomedical industry.
Hello! I am Taklit Lounas and I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Relations. With 2 years of professional experience in administration, I have worked a variety of customer service positions at PHL where I built up my skills of customer service, office administration, and retail sales. I am an experienced customer service professional in high-energy environments who is consistently acknowledged for strong work ethic, responsibility for anticipated and in-the-moment details, and time management. I speak Berber and English and am excited about the possibility of working with your company!
Hello! I am Rei Montague and I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing. With over 5 years of professional experience in nursing and surgery, I can remain calm in fast-paced and intense situations, and I’m very good at prioritizing tasks. I have helped battle the pandemic by performing COVID testing and vaccine testing as I am a registered nurse and blood technician. Currently, I am working as a lab technician and project manager with Penn Medicine’s COVID testing lab called COVID SAFE, where I am collecting and diluting saliva samples, making PCR sample plates, maintaining databases and data collection processes, and managing collection sites and inventory. I speak Japanese and English and am a quick learner, persistent, organized, and comfortable training staff. I am excited about the possibility of working with your company!
Hello! I am Yigit Muezzinoglu and I graduated with a Bachelor’s in Tourism and Hotel Management from Bilkent University in 2009. With over 11 years of professional experience, I have worked as a restaurant/bar manager at Mad Rex, Shift Lead at GoPuff, and Sales and Warehouse Manager at Perre Group. I am looking for a position in the hospitality industry and I speak English and Turkish in addition to being skilled in customer service, restaurant ownership and management. I am excited about the possibility of working with your company!
Hello! I am Pavel Neigum and I graduated with a Master’s Degree in Computer Science. With 12 years of professional experience, I have worked with many brands of equipment, including HP, Dell, Supermicro, Fortinet, and Ubiquiti. Since 2018, I have been an independent contractor as a system administrator with projects in Russia, Monaco, Singapore, and Cyprus. I work in maintenance and administration IT-systems fields and speak Russian and English. I am excited about the possibility of working with your company!
To connect with any of our international professionals for employment or fellowship opportunities, please contact Rochelle T. Cooks, Director of Employer Engagement, through our contact form.
