The Refugee Process | Wilmot Collins | TEDxHelena

What is the process that refugees have to go through in settling into the United States?

Mr. Wilmot Collins is a refugee from Liberia who was forced to flee the Liberian civil war. Mr. Collins arrived in the United States in 1994, and he now resides in Helena, Montana with his wife, daughter, and son. He is a Child Protection Specialist, and adjunct instructor at the University of Montana-Helena, and serves as a member of the United States Naval Reserves. He is very civically active in Montana through his service as a board member for United Way of Lewis & Clark County, the Montana Immigrant Justice Alliance, and for Lutheran Immigration & Refugees Service. Mr. Collins has an M.A. in Human Resources Management and is working towards a Ph.D. in Forensic Psychology at Waldon University. Of all of his contributions to his community, he is most proud of his assistance and close involvement with the Soft Landing Organization in Missoula, Montana, and in bringing a resettlement branch of the International Rescue Committee to Montana. To Wilmot, the U.S. means a second chance.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx