Originally from Charlottesville, Virginia, Kelcey Bailey moved to Pittsburgh in 2016, initially to start her studies at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary for a Masters in Divinity. With a background in International politics, government relations, and social justice advocacy, Kelcey had decided in 2015 to work overseas for International Justice Mission, an NGO working to stop various forms of oppression that exploit poor families and subject them to violence. Recognizing the intersection of her faith and social justice, her recent seminary studies led her to work in the Chaplains Office of Allegheny County Jail, where she realized the need and her interest in pursuing a Masters of Social Work from the University of Pittsburgh as well. Kelcey is particularly passionate about offering hospitality to immigrant and refugee communities and advocating for the rights and humanity of all peoples in the United States.
Kelcey comes to Casa San Jose as an intern from the University of Pittsburgh. She hopes to continue to grow in her awareness of the reality and needs of Latino communities and to gain skills for community organizing, social action, particularly as it relates to immigration policy, detention centers, and resources. She is seeking continuous ways to offer hospitality and sanctuary to immigrant brothers and sisters in the greater Pittsburgh area.
Haleemah Shajira is from Michigan and received her bachelor’s in Psychology and Spanish with a minor in Gender and Health from the University of Michigan. She moved to Pittsburgh to attend the University of Pittsburgh for her Master of Social Work.
Haleemah has worked in Boston and Nashville with high schoolers in teaching and program development. In Ann Arbor, she was involved in raising Latinx cultural awareness on campus and completed psychology research on educational outcomes correlated to bilingual language use. She also volunteered on a crisis line through a local organization seeking to provide housing and emergency services. During her master’s program, Haleemah is involved in the Diversity Committee through the School of Social Work, where she strives to improve her competence working with diverse populations and coordinates community awareness events.
Her drive to serve the immigrant community stems from her familial experience; her father and paternal family have battled for citizenship access in the United States as family members have been displaced from their homes in the Middle East. Haleemah strives to serve the immigrant community as she works to uphold social justice. She looks forward to the opportunity to intern at Casa San Jose, where she will assist in community engagement.
Katherine Anderson is originally from Dayton, Ohio and went to the University of Pittsburgh to complete her undergraduate degree in Urban Studies and Studio Arts. In college she became invested in prison abolition through volunteering with local Pittsburgh non-profits and coalitions. During and after college, she worked for a youth program providing social and environmental justice education to children and teenagers.
Katherine spent this past winter working in Al Otro Lado’s pro-se law clinic for asylum seekers in Tijuana, Mexico. Al Otro Lado is a bi-national legal services organization for migrants and refugees. Here, she witnessed major injustices by our government against people seeking asylum and learned the importance of legal advocacy and organizing. This inspired her to return to the University of Pittsburgh for her Master of Social Work.
She has a passion for combining the values of social work and legal advocacy in the fight for justice. Katherine believes that everyone has the right to safety, community, and well-being and she is happy to work alongside the wonderful people of Casa San Jose to promote these rights for Pittsburgh’s Latinx community.
Originally from York, Pennsylvania, Kiersten Daugherty moved to Pittsburgh in 2017, to begin her studies at Duquesne University. She is currently working towards her bachelor’s degrees in both Psychology and Sociology with a focus in Criminal Justice. In her studies, she learns how to navigate social justice issues, understand the importance of being open minded when listening to the needs of struggling and oppressed groups, and the significance of assisting a community that feels a lack of acceptance due to American social constructs. Previously she was employed by the ARC of York County working to promote inclusion for individuals with intellectual disabilities. She worked as a music coordinator and summer camp counselor helping to educate individuals with disabilities in areas concerning the importance of working well with others, how to play various instruments, and the importance of sharing and respecting another person’s property. Kiersten is particularly passionate about offering hospitality to under recognized groups such as the physically disabled, mentally impaired, and those who are incarcerated. She makes it her goals to advocate for the rights of all members of humanity especially those whose rights have been revoked or restricted.
Kiersten comes to Casa San Jose as an intern from Duquesne University. She aspires to grow in her awareness of the needs of the Latino Communities in the Pittsburgh area and strengthen her skills in assisting community members concerning immigration policy and detention center, particularly in relation to how the United States legal system and its limitations directly affect the lives of many Latino families. Through her work at Casa San Jose, she is seeking new ways to promote acceptance, equal treatment, and a safe environment for immigrant youth and their families in the greater Pittsburgh area.
Fabiola is originally from Guayaquil, Ecuador. She received her Bachelor of Science in Child and Family Studies and a minor in Psychology at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. She worked in the Early Steps program in Louisiana, especially with the immigrant community, helping families and children who have developmental delays or medical conditions. She also helped families in her community to access and locate resources such as food, medical treatment, and school. While pursuing her undergraduate studies, she interned at Hearts of Hope where she advocated for sexual assault victims.
Fabiola moved to Pittsburgh to pursue her Master of Social Work with a Mental Health certificate at the University of Pittsburgh. She is a member of the Latin American Graduate Organization of Students, which advocates for issues that are particularly salient to the Latin community at the university.
Before moving to the United States, she volunteered in the Movimiento de Vida Cristiana where she found her call for helping others. She grew up in an area where she saw the need for change in her community and believes that educating society is important to help the most in need.
As an immigrant herself, she admires the strength and determination of immigrant families, and she understands the challenges they face when they move to this country while adapting to a different culture. She looks forward to being a member of Casa San José where she can help the Latino community to adjust to the new environment and make positive changes in the immigrant population that is often ignored by large institutions.
Maura DeLuca is a first year MSW student at Edinboro University. She is honored to be gaining valuable field experience at Casa San Jose and is grateful to be able to contribute to the important work of the organization. A Pittsburgh native, Maura graduated from Penn State University in Communications and
went on to live in New York City, Italy, and the Midwest. Maura spent many years organizing in NYC and the Midwest around many social justice issues, including immigrant rights. One of Maura’s most memorable experiences in this work was participating in the 2006 “Day without Immigrant” May Day mobilization—an immigrant-led action which played a big part defeating the then-proposed anti-immigrant “Sensenbrenner Bill.” To this day Maura is firm believer that no human being is “illegal” and that everyone should have the right to adequate housing, employment, education, healthcare, and nutrition.