Katya Avalos has 8 years of experience in the immigrant services sector. She worked with Temporary Farm Workers from Latin America with the Umbrella Mobile Clinic program, coordinating outdoor clinics for multi-barriered and vulnerable migrant rural workers. She then joined ISSofBC as a settlement worker for the Settlement Orientation Services (SOS) program, providing orientation and support to help refugee claimants navigate the complex refugee determination system. She is currently the Community Engagement Director for the Multi-Agency Partnership of BC (MAP BC); a network of over 60 nonprofits, community organizations, government and non-government agencies that work with and for refugee claimants. Katya has a BA in political science from UBC and a Master’s in International Studies from SFU, with a focus on Latin American public security issues.