OUR STAFF
Education Services
Program Manager, Education Services
Jackie was born in Arlington, VA but was raised in Denver, CO and lived there until she moved back to Virginia in 2011. She has over 7 years of management experience working in different fields. She also has several years of experience working and volunteering with the public at hospitals, churches, and schools. Prior to her current role, Jackie was the Education Services Manager at Hogar since 2013.
Courtney Lord
Curriculum and Workforce Development Specialist
Originally from Hartford, WI, Courtney graduated from Alverno College in Milwaukee, WI with a BA of English Language Arts and minors in Secondary Education, Spanish Language & Cultures, and Creative Studies in Writing. Just before graduating, Courtney spent a summer volunteering in Tena, Ecuador (a small town bordering the Amazon rainforest) as an ESL teacher with the organization WorldTeach. Following graduation, Courtney moved to Guayaquil, Ecuador for two years and worked as a middle school and high school English teacher at an international school. Starting in June 2017, Courtney will begin pursuing her low-residency MAT in TESOL with SIT Graduate Institute in Brattleboro, VT. Courtney is excited to bring her teaching experience with her to Hogar Immigrant Services.
Administrative Assistant
Diana was born and raised in northern Virginia. She graduated from St. John Paul the Great High School and is currently enrolled at George Mason University and is majoring in Political Philosophy in Policy and Law. Diana plans to continue working with the Hispanic community after graduation. She began her work with Hogar as a summer intern and later moved into the administrative assistant position when it was open. She enjoys completing service projects and is very active in her church.
ESOL and Workforce Instructor
Taylor was born in Basking Ridge, NJ, and moved to Fairfax, VA in 2015. She has several years’ experience in Youth Development, educating children and teens, ages 6-18, on faith and healthy relationship building. Currently, she is studying at George Mason University for her BA in Conflict Analysis and Resolution, and a minor in Social Justice. She is also learning Arabic and American Sign Language and hopes to utilize these as an educator in the future.
Kaitlyn Clarke
Education Services Coordinator
Born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, Kaitlyn graduated from Manhattan College with a B.A in Spanish and International Studies with a concentration in Latin America and the Caribbean. During her time at Manhattan College, Kaitlyn studied abroad in Madrid, Spain; while abroad, Kaitlyn taught English to Spanish children by incorporating play-time and fun into their learning. Kaitlyn also gained teaching experience during her time at Reach the World, a non-profit organization based in New York that integrates global learning into underserved classrooms. Kaitlyn is most looking forward to creating a positive learning environment for her students and advocating for social equality.
Faiza Khanim
Education Services Coordinator
Faiza was born in Pakistan and grew up in Northern Virginia. She graduated with a BA in Sociology and has previous academic and professional experience in the non-profit world, the mental health field, and with the UN. Along with her fluency in English, Faiza speaks her native language Pashto, German, and is learning Urdu. During her study abroad term in London, Faiza worked with homeless youth to help provide them sustainable and independent lives off the streets. Faiza is excited to work with Hogar to help the organization flourish.
Diana Round
Education Services Coordinator
Born in Ecuador, Diana was raised in Western Canada on Vancouver Island where she studied French and Political Science. She earned her BA in International Development from the University of Calgary, her world area focus being Latin America. She spent many years in community development working to guide inspired volunteer work teams to bring their community enhancement projects to life. Diana has lived on 3 continents and travelled to over 17 countries. She has worked on developing a multi-cultural center for youth in the jungles of Costa Rica, near El Socorro de Platanares and on hotel and restaurant development in the Domincan Republic. Diana is passionate about environmental sustainability and is a great recycler. In her spare time she likes to play tennis and hike the many trails of Northern Virginia.
Emily Wood
Volunteer Coordinator, Education Services, Hogar Immigrant Services, and Migration Refugee Services
Born and raised in Buffalo, New York, Emily graduated from SUNY Oswego in 2016 with a BA in Global and International Studies, and a dual minor in Peace and Conflict Studies and Philosophy. During her time at SUNY Oswego, Emily interned with the Department of State in Washington DC, as well as at a refugee resettlement agency in Syracuse, NY. After graduation, Emily served as a case manager, employment specialist, and legal assistant at a refugee resettlement agency in Buffalo, NY. Emily is a certified TEFL Instructor, and spends her free time teaching English online to students in China. Emily joined the Catholic Charities, Diocese of Arlington team in 2019 as the Volunteer Coordinator for Education Services, Hogar Immigrant Services, and Migration and Refugee Services.
Legal Services
Program Director, Legal Services
Stacy joined Hogar as Staff Attorney in August 2014, after many years of working at the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants. At USCRI, Stacy trained and mentored pro bono attorneys representing unaccompanied children in removal proceedings before the various immigration courts throughout the United States. She also served as an Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Legal Fellow at USCRI for two years, providing pro bono immigration representation to children in the District of Columbia foster care system. In law school, Stacy was a student attorney in the school's International Human Rights Law Clinic, where she represented a young man from El Salvador in his appeal in a gang-based asylum case, sparking Stacy's interest in immigration law. Stacy has previously worked in private practice and at Mil Mujeres Legal Services, and has interned with the Due Process of Law Foundation, Chile Transparente, and the Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. She received her J.D. from American University Washington College of Law, after earning a B.A. in Spanish and International Relations from Lehigh University. She is a member of the District of Columbia Bar and the American Immigration Lawyers Association, as well as a contributor to international immigration blog, The Migrationist.
Staff Attorney
Suleyka joined Hogar as a Staff Attorney in November 2015. She received her J.D. from the George Washington University Law School, and earned her B.A. in Humanities and Justice Studies from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. During law school, Suleyka interned with Mil Mujeres Legal Services and Ayuda. She also volunteered with CASA De Maryland’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Campaign. Suleyka’s time at these organizations solidified her desire to pursue a career in immigration law. Suleyka also gained valuable litigation experience as a Student Attorney at the George Washington University Law School’s Family Justice Litigation Clinic. There she represented indigent litigants in D.C. Superior Court, handling matters in both Family Court and the Domestic Violence Unit. Before joining Hogar, Suleyka was a William Cranch Legal Fellow at the Council of the District of Columbia in the Office of the General Counsel, where she reviewed pending legislation for legal and policy issues.
Staff Attorney
Marta joined Hogar as Staff Attorney in September 2017. Prior to joining Hogar, Marta served as a Staff Attorney and Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Legal Fellow at Catholic Charities of Baltimore, where she provided direct pro bono legal representation to immigrant youth in Maryland since December of 2014. At Catholic Charities of Baltimore, Marta also provided direct pro bono representation to adults responsible for immigrant youth across the State of Maryland; her work included direct representation at the appellate level. During that time, Marta also provided mentorship and training to pro bono attorneys on immigration and related Maryland state court proceedings involving immigrant youth. Previously, Marta served as a Judicial Law Clerk in Montgomery County, Maryland. In law school, Marta served as a student attorney in her school’s Immigration Clinic for two years. She received her J.D. from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, after earning her B.A. in Psychology from the George Washington University. Marta is a native Spanish-speaker whom is licensed to practice law in the State of Maryland. She is a member of the Maryland State Bar Association and the American Immigration Lawyers Association.
Supervising Attorney
Ashley LaRiccia joined Hogar as a Staff Attorney in November 2017. Ashley is a graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and the University Of Maryland School Of Law. Ashley was inspired to pursue a career in immigration law after spending a summer interning at the US Consulate in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic during undergrad. In law school Ashley was a student attorney in the Immigration Clinic and interned at the Esperanza Center in Baltimore. After law school, Ashley completed a two year Equal Justice Works fellow funded by McGuireWoods and Dupont. Over her time as a fellow, Ashley expanded legal representation to otherwise unrepresented unaccompanied children (UAC) as well as provided immigration legal services to refugees and low-income immigrants in Atlanta. Ashley returned to the DC area after her fellowship and continued to resprsent with UAC and their caretakers as a direct representation attorney with the Kids in Need of Defense’s (KIND) Baltimore Office. Ashley is barred in Maryland.
Staff Attorney
Tyler joined Hogar as a Staff Attorney in June 2018. He received his J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center with a Certificate in Refugees and Humanitarian Emergencies, having focused his legal studies on immigration law and human rights. Prior to joining Hogar, he worked with the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, performing refugee status determination for asylum-seekers in the southern Caribbean. In law school, Tyler served as a Student Attorney in Georgetown’s asylum clinic, the Center for Applied Legal Studies, where he gained valuable experience in U.S. immigration law and the advocacy process. He also mentored a resettled refugee in Northern Virginia through the Refugee Assistance Program. These experiences led to his interest in immigration and refugee law. Tyler holds a B.A. in history from the University of North Carolina and, before embarking on his legal career, was an officer in the U.S. Navy and Navy Reserve. He speaks Spanish and is a member of the Virginia State Bar.
Staff Attorney
Megan Race joined Hogar as a Staff Attorney in December 2018. She is a graduate of George Mason University and American University’s Washington College of Law. From a young age, Megan has been interested in foreign affairs and helping those affected by humanitarian and political crises. She has volunteered and worked with organizations serving vulnerable populations around the world. As a student attorney in the International Human Rights Law Clinic, Megan advocated for asylum seekers and others escaping atrocities in their home countries. After passing the bar, Megan began representing refugees and low-income immigrants in Memphis, Tennessee on humanitarian and family-based cases. Always looking to expand her legal education, Megan takes every opportunity to attend immigration conferences, trainings and webinars to keep up to date on best practices. She is also working on becoming fluent in Spanish. Megan is a member of the Maryland State Bar Association and the American Immigration Lawyers Association.
Taylor Hall
Staff Attorney
Taylor joined Hogar as a Staff Attorney in May 2019. He received his J.D. from William and Mary Law School and earned his B.A. in Spanish from the University of Mary Washington. Taylor decided to pursue a career in immigration law after interning at Ayuda during his 1L summer. Subsequently, he interned in the Detained Children’s Program at CAIR Coalition and L&L Immigration Law. Prior to law school, Taylor served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Paraguay and worked at a civil rights agency at the Department of Labor. Before joining Hogar, Taylor last worked at an immigration firm in Richmond, Virginia. He is a fluent Spanish speaker and member of the District of Columbia bar.
Legal Assistant
Felipe was born in Alajuela, Costa Rica and moved to the Arlington, VA when he was 9. He attended George Mason University, and graduated in 2015 with a BA in Government and a minor in Journalism. In 2014, Felipe had the opportunity to intern in London for Jeremy Corbyn MP, Leader of the UK Labour Party at the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. There he developed an interest in Human Rights and Latin American politics. After graduating, he took a job at an immigration law firm in Falls Church, VA where he worked as a legal assistant and interpreter. Felipe joined Hogar in November 2016.
Naturalization Manager
Originally from Haiti, Sydney graduated with a B.S. in Political Science and French with a concentration in Public Policy and an emphasis in Immigration from Bridgewater College in Bridgewater, Va. While attending Bridgewater, she was a part of the leadership team for the Catholic Campus Ministry and a member of the Bridgewater College Swimming team. Sydney conducted research on the relationship between naturalization and voting throughout the last four presidential elections cycle, as well as English as a second language(ESL) and English Language learners programs (ELL) and their effectiveness in achieving fluency. Sydney joined our team in June 2018. Prior to joining Hogar, she organized voter registration drives for under-represented populations.
Fiscal Assistant
Lorraine joined Hogar in October 2010 after working 14 years at the Congressional Research Service in the Library of Congress. Originally from Pennsylvania, she came to the DC area to attend the University of Maryland where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish, including one year of study in Spain, and a Masters in Administration.
Receptionist
Nancy was born in Peru and has lived in the United States since 1982. She has been Hogar's receptionist since 1991, making her the longest-serving member of the Hogar team. Nancy loves working at Hogar because she gets the opportunity to help people every day. Nancy currently lives in Arlington.