Saint Francis of Assisi called on his followers to “welcome the stranger,” and Every Campus a Refuge (ECAR) does exactly that.
Siena was one of the first colleges in the country to start an ECAR chapter and to actually host a refugee family. To discuss the experience of hosting and to plan for future initiatives, Maria Barabash ’28 attended ECAR’s annual Gathering, held October 2-3 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The event was hosted by The University of Tulsa and Oklahoma State University.
“It was a fantastic experience and so inspiring,” said Barabash. “Yes, it was an opportunity to network, but the real goal was to unite people to explore the best ways to help the refugee community. There were many students who are so insanely dedicated to refugee work and want to continue it after college.”
Barabash’s interest in the refugee experience is personal: her parents are from Ukraine, and she is an informed advocate who has engaged in raising public awareness about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the protection of Ukrainian refugees. She was a CURCA summer scholar in 2025 and 2026, studying Russian disinformation warfare and propaganda with Ausra Park, Ph.D., professor of international relations.
“Maria’s academic interests and her personal background and experiences are a great fit with the ECAR goals and activities,” said Park.
The Gathering welcomed representatives from universities, non-profits and faith-based organizations that advocate for the refugee community. Barabash noted that the event is called the “Gathering” rather than a conference for a reason: it’s about joining together to help others and promote their needs. It offered workshops and trainings on how to use local initiatives to support refugees, refugee law, and using a trauma-informed lens to serve communities.
She said her favorite session was a light-hearted workshop where attendees built kites, had a theatre session, or played a World Cup-related table game.
“Kites are very significant in different parts of the world, and it was a nice setting in which to be creative.”
They also heard from a woman in her mid-20s who was born in Greece to parents from Albania. The family emigrated to the U.S., essentially leaving her stateless, as she was technically not a citizen of any nation. She shared her personal story of seeking education, shelter and employment without necessary documentation.
Now that she’s back at Siena, Barabash wants to help build Siena’s ECAR connection into a Capital Region chapter by joining with an ECAR group at Russell Sage College in Troy and expanding their efforts.
“There are many ways to help, and no limit to who can be involved.”
