Mosaics

• Pace for Peace: Advocating for Afghanistan

  The Pace for Peace 5K is returning to Boise this month - this time with a focus on Afghanistan. “The situation in Afghanistan still is getting worse, not better,” said Yasmin Aguilar with Agency for New Americans. “We have clients here, they are suffering, they have family members there – extended or immediate – and our hands are tied.” Sayed Mirbacha, one of the local students organizing Pace for Peace, fled Afghanistan with his family four years ago after the U.S. military withdrawal and Taliban takeover. “Leaving everything behind and moving to another country…was shocking,” he said. “The support and the community I found here was so heart-touching to me.”   Sign up here to support Pace for Peace: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pace-for-peace-5k-run-for-afghanistan-tickets-1487201251979   Run for Afghanistan on Sept. 27. Proceeds will go to the Qamar Foundation, whose mission is to tackle social injustice and poverty through education.

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• Unified Purpose featuring the Idaho Office for Refugees

  Mosaics host Holly Beech recently joined the Unified Purpose podcast to dive into what it means to help people transition from surviving trauma to truly belonging in a new country.   The episode explores how Idaho’s long-standing refugee program —celebrating 50 years of resettlement — goes beyond logistics, offering emotional support, career reintegration, cultural connection, and community partnerships to make resettlement meaningful and humane.   From pilot retraining programs and mental health support to community soccer rivalries and women’s art circles, this episode showcases how small efforts, when done with heart, create powerful ripples of belonging and purpose.   Unified Purpose is produced by Penji and reshared here with permission. 

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• Idaho Launches New Pathway for Internationally Trained Physicians

  Doctors moving into the U.S. bring much needed skills but face barriers getting back to the medical field – including a competitive process to redo their residency training.   A new law in Idaho is providing an alternative pathway for these physicians so they can complete a supervised apprenticeship and get back to the work they love.   Today we’re joined by Dr. Scott Smith and Viktoriia‎ Siedikova ‎of Global Talent to learn how House Bill 542 is bringing a win-win solution to Idaho and providing a model for other states.   Viktoriia Siedikova is a Career Advisor with Global Talent with a background in human resources, project management, and community advocacy. Originally from Ukraine and fluent in English, Russian, and Ukrainian, she brings a deep understanding of the challenges faced by newcomers to the U.S.   Dr. Scott Smith is a mentor with Global Talent working with a cohort of New American medical professionals in Idaho. He is an internal medicine doctor, educational researcher, and professor of medicine ‎‎(emeritus) with the University of Washington. Since 2019, Scott has mentored 42 internationally trained physicians from 21 ‎countries. Of those, seven are now practicing in the U.S.     To learn more about Global Talent and how to get involved, please visit https://glotalent.org/. Contact us at [email protected] with feedback, questions, and episode suggestions.  

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• Lena Contor: Idahoans Are Making a Difference in Ukraine

  Lena Contor grew up in Ukraine and moved to Pocatello, Idaho, after getting married. After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Lena was presented with an opportunity to go back on a humanitarian relief trip. Her first thought was, “Who am I to do anything? I’m not rich. I’m not powerful.” But she couldn’t push the thought out of her mind, and she took the leap. She is now getting ready to go on her 10th trip back to Ukraine, and she has rallied the Pocatello community to fund solar panels that will power running water for devasted communities. Lena shows how overcoming self-doubt and thoughts of insignificance – and stepping up to do what we can in the moment – can have powerful ripple effects.

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• Fredrick Shema: What Motivated Me to Study Law ‎

  Fredrick Shema grew up in a refugee camp in Uganda before resettling in Boise with his ‎family in 2012 as a high school student. In college, he was able to go back to the camp ‎where he grew up for a research project, reconnecting with friends still living ‎there. Through this experience and working with Boise youth from refugee backgrounds, ‎Fredrick set his sights on becoming an attorney – wanting to make a tangible difference in ‎people’s lives. After earning his law degree this spring, Fredrick sat down with Mosaics to ‎share about his life, what he’s learned, and how he found his ‘why.’‎

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