Sometimes the world's problems feel so big, it's hard not to feel helpless. But Olivia Marsan '26 and Carsyn Ide '27 discovered this summer that changing the world can happen one client at a time.
Marsan and Ide got to know the Haitian family – the two parents and their four children – fairly well. The family entered the United States legally in 2023 through humanitarian parole which provides temporary immigration status for those facing urgent crisis. For this family, their situation is still urgent, but the program has been suspended.
In May of this year, certain humanitarian parole programs (including those impacting Haitians) were terminated, which voided this family's legal status. The mother had been targeted by a Haitian gang, and the family fears they will all be in grave danger the minute they step foot back in their native country. The parents made the bold decision to ask for help – which also draws unwanted attention. Marsan and Ide learned all of this over Zoom calls with the family.
"When I listened to their story, I recognized how lucky I am to have the privileges we often take for granted," said Marsan. "I know I want to get into law to help people. This was just a great opportunity to gain some experience."
Marsan and Ide are both pursuing their pre-law certificates, and this summer, they both spent two months at the Feerick Center for Social Justice at the Fordham School of Law through Siena's Summer Legal Fellows Programs. Summer Fellows work under the direct supervision of a law school professor while undertaking original legal research with second and third year law students. Marsan and Ide also worked in two separate clinics, though primarily with the Immigration Justice Project under the direction of Emerson Argueta, associate director of the Feerick Center.
"Working with immigration in this political climate can be very heavy and emotional," said Ide. "It's hard not to get attached to the clients. They're facing the hardest thing they'll ever face. It's an incredible experience to do work that means something. We read stories in the news and feel helpless. But we actually got to do something to help. It was such an incredible experience."
Ide and Marsan prepared documents and drafted motions, all at no charge to their clients. Siena's Summer Legal Fellows Program partners with six different law schools, and each program offers its own unique speciality. Ide and Marsan chose Fordham for a reason.
"I don't know what type of law I want to go into yet, but I know I want to help people," said Marsan. "Every opportunity I had was rewarding and eye-opening. I not only learned so much regarding legal procedure, legal writing, and client interaction, but also the deep flaws in our system and how much work is still needed to ensure true equality and justice for all."
Plus, as both Marsan and Ide pointed out, it's not a bad deal spending eight weeks of your summer in New York City.
As for the work, they both said it was "as rewarding as it was harrowing." There were times Emerson would share good news about their clients. But it wasn't always good news. They don't know yet what will happen with the Haitian family, but this experience did cement one thing for Ide:
"It reinforced what I want to do. I absolutely want to pursue a career in immigration law and social justice. I'm more passionate about it now than I've ever been."
Both Ide and Marsan intend to apply to Fordham Law, among other options. But regardless of where they study law, they're grateful for the pre-law experience at Siena.
"This program has done so much for me," said Marsan. "Dr. Len Cutler creates so many incredible opportunities for his students. He's always pushing us to be our best. We learn the skills we need to move forward in our careers, no matter what that looks like. This experience opened my eyes to areas of law I hadn't thought about yet."
