On June 20th, as part of its tenth-anniversary celebration, the Andrew Romay New Immigrant Center (ARNIC) bestowed the highly esteemed “Alumni Community Impact Award” upon Hector Arguinzones and Nirka Melendez, directors of Venezuelans and Immigrants Aid (VIA), in profound recognition of their substantial contributions to the immigrant community of New York.
Karl Hart, Student Services Senior Manager of ARNIC, said, “We are very proud to present this award to [Niurka and Hector] for their contributions in welcoming immigrants and leadership and initiative in creating the non-profit community-based organization VIA. Héctor’s and Niurka’s tireless efforts to give back to their community have helped to uplift newcomers from Venezuela and beyond.”
“VIA connects asylum seekers and Immigrants to existing services in NYC, sharing vital information about legal services, English classes, and mental health support. Niurka and Hector’s collaboration, partnership, and spirit of volunteerism have helped elevate the quality of life of some of the most vulnerable New Yorkers. They are part of the ARNIC Alumni,” Hart stated.
ARNIC and VIA’s Partnership: An Instrumental Benefit for Immigrants
After receiving their award, Hector Arguinzones and Niurka Meléndez-Vásquez expressed, “We received [this award] in the name of all of VIA’s team with gratitude and humility! It means a lot to us and the community we serve in search of humanitarian protection. Our partnership with ARNIC has brought us immense satisfaction. Several VIA members are former ARNIC students who improved their English skills in the upstairs classrooms shortly after arriving in the US. Today, they are giving back to the community and have the key to opening many doors in the future”.
“We dedicate this award to our amazing team of volunteers, members, family, friends, allies, and collaborators who have been instrumental in helping us achieve our goals over the years. Thank you all so much! ¡Muchisimas gracias!” Arguinzones and Melendez finalized.
During the event, ARNIC also gave the “Community Partnership and Collaboration Award” to Flushing Bank and the “Leadership Volunteerism Award” to the English-Speaking Union (ESU) Denver Branch. In the ceremony, 180 students of the 2024 received their graduation diplomas.
After the welcome introduction by the ARNIC President and Executive Director, Karen Karpowich, Rona Weitz (Director of Immigrant Programs) spoke about “Ten Years of Impact and Immigrant Success.” Also, the guests watched a salutation video of the keynote speaker, Peter Frey (Trustee of the Marietta and Andrew Romay Foundation). Meanwhile, Karl Hart talked about Student Success.
At the ARNIC gala, two students presented their readings: Aleksandr Sabirov, from Rusia, (Welcome Home—A Tale of Arrival and Belonging) and Manuel Peña Benavides, from Colombia, (Suddenly in a Stomach). In addition, a panel named “Alumni Voices: Stories of Success” introduced a conversation with alumni Luz Lopera (Venezuela), Dieudonné Ndje Bayi Seh (Cameroon), Eduardo Salazar Uribe (Venezuela), and Dipika Shrestha (Nepal). Shakuntala Shrestha (Nepal) was responsible for Address to the Class of 2024.