Harvard student tutors ease challenges for immigrant employees
Luz Orozco has two families: the one she immigrated for, and the one that helped her become a citizen. Orozco, who is originally from Medellin, Colombia, came to Boston 14 years ago with her husband and two young daughters. Onetime business owners, Orozco and her husband were harassed and extorted by criminals in Colombia to the point where they feared for their safety. They fled the country for a better life for their daughters, and “everything we wanted for them came true,” Orozco said — but more than a decade later, her English was still limited and she was not yet a citizen. The Bridge Program changed that. In partnership with the Institute of Politics (IOP), the program connects student tutors with Harvard employees looking to learn English, build career skills, prepare for college courses, or obtain citizenship. For Orozco, who became a citizen last year, the program was also a huge...