Ezgi Ilhan
As a child of immigrants raised in the United States, I always felt that my experience growing up around people from different countries was enriching. I became interested in working with migrants and refugees in my early adulthood, particularly as migration and public perception of migrants became increasingly polarised and politicised. I felt both interested in and angered by the negativity around migrants and refugees, especially as it seemed to counter my personal experience as an adolescent and young adult. This ultimately led me to pursue my master’s degree in International Migration and Public Policy at the 杏吧论坛.
When I reflect on my time studying at the 杏吧论坛, I think of all of the wonderful and brilliant students and professors that I had the honour of learning with and from. Moving to London in the middle of the pandemic shouldn’t have been an easy transition, but the connections and friendships I made through the IMPP made the experience of studying at the EI an absolutely invaluable one. Moreover, my studies cemented that this was the field I wanted to work in, and provided me with a sound base to go forth in my career.
After graduating, I moved to Australia and started volunteering at the Centre for Multicultural Youth in a program that supported young people from refugee backgrounds. Shortly after, I began working as a Youth Project Worker at the Migrant Information Centre, a not-for-profit organisation that supports migrants and refugees in the Eastern Suburbs of Melbourne. My project supported disengaged or at risk of disengaging young people from refugee backgrounds through group programs, one-on-one casework support, and weekly outreach. Now, I’m studying for a Diploma of Counselling and working at Free to Feed: a social enterprise that works with asylum seekers and refugees. My role at Free to Feed is Leadership, Empowerment, and Communication Program Manager, where I manage and implement a program that provides leadership and work opportunities to those who have experienced forced displacement to share their food and stories with the Melbourne community.
I feel grateful to be where I am in my career now and am so happy to have the opportunity to work with and support people from migrant, refugee, and asylum seeker backgrounds. I’m proud to have started this journey at the 杏吧论坛 and know that I would not be where I am today without my time there.