11/19/2025
ZZ’s job title at Monarch Immigrant Services is Case Manager/SASIC Program Ambassador. The first part is obvious, almost comically unglamorous, and constitutes like 95% of the workload. It’s the day-to-day grind of helping Afghan refugee families navigate the complex and sometimes hostile prospect of starting over from nothing in a foreign country.
ZZ is a solid Case Manager.
She is an amazing Program Ambassador.
She has an ability to use her personal story – being kidnapped and abused by the Taliban, escaping then serving alongside NATO Coalition forces as an interpreter - unflinchingly to connect with audiences in a visceral way that elevates her advocacy for Afghan refugees and specifically for women’s rights. She came back from Jefferson City earlier this year and casually mentioned that she received standing ovations from both houses of the state legislature. We laughed, but then she pulled out her phone and showed us the videos. She’s also the subject of a documentary that we may or may not be allowed to talk about yet, so we’ll just drop that here and move on.
Anyway, she’s a rare talent. Which is why we were thrilled to be able to send her to the United Nations Association of the United States of America Leadership Summit last weekend. Thank you to Carlos Suarez for the invitation and for securing the event for St. Louis!
