Salome Mwangi has called Boise home since relocating here 17 years ago via the refugee resettlement program from Nairobi, Kenya. She has a professional background in banking, finance & IT, which she gained while working in Kenya. Since moving to the U.S. Salome has used her multilingual skills to foster communication between former refugees and their service providers as they navigate different systems in making the Treasure Valley home. Along the way, Salome has become a cultural broker, realizing that the culture behind each language bears weight in living life with cross-cultural relevance. Salome manages the Refugee Speakers Bureau at the Idaho Office for Refugees, where she works with speakers from different countries and cultures, supporting them as they shape their stories and share them within this community and beyond.

Alejandra Hernandez was born and raised in Santiago, Chile. She has been in the U.S. for 27 years, 20 of those living in Boston. She moved to Idaho almost seven years ago and serves as the executive director of the Unity Alliance of Southern Idaho, a nonprofit that supports and promotes an understanding of how all immigrants contribute to our region’s economy, way of life, and values. Alejandra has over 15 years of experience working in communities as an educational coach providing technical assistance to schools, and community leaders, and leading trainings and workshops addressing topics related to education and multiculturalism. She earned a master's in Educational Leadership from Cambridge College and a bachelor’s in Educational Psychology. Most of her formal education happened in Chile where she earned a bachelor’s in Agricultural Engineering and a master’s in Social Communication. Passion is what drives everything she does in life. She is a lifelong learner and her mantra in life is “get curious, not furious.” Currently she lives in Twin Falls with Margarito, her best PETsona!

Shadi Ismail was born and raised in Syria. He fled Syria in 2008 because his sexual orientation placed his life in danger. He registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Jordan as a refugee in 2009. After enduring hardships as a refugee, he was resettled in Boise in May of 2012, where he hoped to be loved and accepted just as he was. Shadi had to learn to communicate in English in this new culture that he had stepped into. An encounter with a stranger who showed him kindness in his early days in Boise wiped away any fear that he had about calling Idaho home. He is a jack of many trades and is not afraid to showcase his passions. He is currently working fulltime and also hand makes pillows, blankets, etc. just like his family does back in Syria. Shadi is also an amazing cook and has participated in the cross-culinary virtual classes organized and facilitated by the Idaho Office for Refugees, sharing the delights of Syrian cuisine with the community. His story was featured in Apple TV’s “Little America” series, which showcases the stories of immigrants. He is also an engaging speaker with the Refugee Speakers’ Bureau, an IOR program.

Ava Steven came to America in 2012 with her family and they were originally resettled in San Jose. They moved to Boise where she attended high school and then went to Boise State University. Ava loves traveling all the time and making new friends from all over the world.