Video credit: Find Your Ally | Click here for the English version. Lidieth Arevalo is a filmmaker and immigrant rights activist based in Long Beach, California. In this episode of Determined Voices, Lidieth shares her experience as an immigrant woman and the impact...
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Find Your Ally ‘Determined Voices’ Series: Madeleine’s Story
"It was at a community college that I learned about resources that supported AB 540 that made the classes so much more affordable for me. It was also at community college that I had the space to and time to explore the different majors and classes that I was...
From Immigrant to Beauty Entrepreneur: Sylwia Wiesenberg’s Success Story
Welcome to Beautiful Journey, a podcast series presented by FirstGen, a Michelson Philanthropies initiative dedicated to uplifting immigrant women's stories. Host Alya Michelson shares the unique stories of women from all walks of life, hoping to inspire and provide...
The Beauty of Entrepreneurship: Sylwia Wiesenberg’s Success Story
About this Episode: In her conversation with Alya, Sylwia Weisenberg shares the business challenges she faced as an immigrant woman and how she overcame them to create new opportunities for herself. Drawing from her own experiences, Sylwia gives invaluable advice on...
Find Your Ally Determined Voices Presents: Amna of Saddleback College
Get inspired by immigrant women who have achieved success through California Community Colleges! The Michelson Philanthropies FirstGen Initiative is partnering with the Foundation for California Community Colleges to spotlight the stories of a diverse group of women...
A Journey of Empowerment: Lola Adeyemo’s Inspiring Story
About This Episode In this inspiring episode of Beautiful Journey, Host Alya Michelson joins Lola Adeyemo, CEO & Founder of EQIMindset, who embarked on a life-changing adventure from Nigeria to the United States to pursue a university degree. But her journey was...
Foundation for California Community Colleges Presents Determined Voices: Katherine’s Story
Get inspired by the immigrant women who forged careers through the Foundation for California Community Colleges (FCCC). With the support from the Michelson Philanthropies FirstGen Initiative, the FCCC will spotlight the stories of a diverse group of women who have...
Championing Stories and Addressing Inequality: FirstGen Grants Support and Uplift Immigrant Women
Announcing the FirstGen Grantees: The Foundation for California Community Colleges and the Society of Refugee Healthcare Providers To mark International Women’s Day 2023, FirstGen is honored to announce the recipients of its inaugural $25,000 FirstGen...
Alya Michelson’s FirstGen Program Announces New Spark Grants Program
FirstGen is a program that aims to uplift immigrant women through storytelling that celebrates their contributions and programming that facilitates their pathways to success. In celebration of International Women’s Day, Michelson Philanthropies program FirstGen...
FirstGen and Upwardly Global’s Career Skills Program for Immigrant Women Continues to Grow
Enrollment in Upwardly Global's Career Skills Program for immigrant women who now call Los Angeles home, launched last year with support from Alya Michelson’s FirstGen Initiative, nearly tripled above the initial target for the program, which is aimed at moving...
A Mother’s Prayer for Her Slavic Family
The heart of Russia is not inside the Kremlin, writes Alya Michelson. Many Russians have roots in both Russia and Ukraine, speak both languages and embrace the deep cultural heritage of both countries. By Alya Michelson The road trips to Lviv from the...
And Just Like That… Another Tired Stereotype
I was never a fan of the HBO series “Sex and the City” and certainly did not have any plans for watching the new HBO Max sequel “And Just Like That…,” but something came to my attention that compelled me to turn on the TV. By Alya Michelson The Tired...