Founder, Legal & Executive Director

After helping hundreds of immigrants find safety and freedom in the U.S., Jen founded Arise Immigration Services to respond to unmet needs in Pittsburgh and across the U.S. Jen is a former counselor and social worker and the way she practices law reflects her deep care for clients as well as her firmly-held beliefs that all human beings are equal and should be treated as such. Jen also teaches immigration law through the Villanova Interdisciplinary Immigration Studies Training for Advocates Program. She attended the University of Oxford International Summer School in Forced Migration and received her J.D. from Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law, where she was a Public Interest Scholar. She received her B.S. in Clinical Psychology from the Honors Program at Liberty University, where she was a Division I Track and Field athlete/team captain and university-sponsored researcher.

Director

Mohammed Alsalihi, a Fulbright alumnus, holds a BSc in civil engineering from the University of Kirkuk. He received his MS degree in civil engineering with a focus on structural engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, followed by a PhD degree with a focus on transportation engineering from Temple University in Philadelphia. He worked on a variety of highway projects as an assistant engineer at the New Jersey Department of Transportation. He also taught several undergraduate courses in civil engineering at Rutgers University, Widener University, and Temple University. Dr. Alsalihi is currently working at TranSystems as a structural engineer in the bridge design and inspection unit. He has experience in navigating the U.S. immigration system and serves through Arise to help others receive the assistance and guidance they need throughout their immigration journey.

Director & Department of Justice Accredited Representative

Kim Betz has worked in higher education administration for more than 25 years at Oberlin College, St. Catherine University, Carleton College, and Princeton University. Throughout her work in higher ed, Kim has supported students with many different visa and immigration statuses in their career development. In 2021, she completed an intensive year-long training program in immigration law through Villanova University, VIISTA - Villanova Interdisciplinary Immigration Studies Training for Advocates. Kim is fluent in German, has studied a bit of Serbo-Croatian, and has dipped a toe into trying to learn Hmong. She lived in Austria for a year, where she taught English, and is currently dividing her time between Princeton, NJ and Minneapolis, MN.

President, Board of Directors

Claudia is originally from El Salvador, where she studied law at the University of Technology of El Salvador. As an immigrant, she is eager to help make the transition smoother for others navigating the difficult immigration system in the U.S. She will never forget the relief she felt when she received her green card. She hopes to share that same feeling with many more through her work at Arise. She has worked in hospitality and management for the last 18 years and is fluent in English and Spanish. She lives in Northern Virginia with her daughters.

Director

Jenn Bulcock has a background as a college educator and as an advocate for those impacted by the U.S. criminal justice system and U.S. immigration law. For six years Jenn was a philosophy professor at Cabrini University and concurrently served as the Assistant Director for the Center on Immigration for three years. With her colleagues she led advocacy efforts for immigration reform at the state and national level with students and helped to organize educational events for the university and the community. Jenn completed Villanova University’s intensive training program in immigration law (VIISTA - Villanova Interdisciplinary Immigration Studies Training for Advocates) and has since volunteered with immigration non-profits to assist with family reunification, asylum, and humanitarian parole cases. She has also contributed to the literature on crimes involving moral turpitude within immigration jurisprudence. Jenn’s work within the criminal justice system includes teaching college students alongside women who are incarcerated within a county jail and providing therapeutic case management and reentry planning for men who are incarcerated. She has most recently worked as a mobile crisis counselor and as a psychological counselor at a college counseling center.

Jenn received her Ph.D. in Philosophy from Rice University, her M.A. in Justice Studies from the University of New Hampshire, and will receive her Master of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania in May of 2023.

Director

For the past six years, Cyndy Levy has devoted her time and energy to working with non-profit organizations supporting immigrant rights. She has accompanied immigrants in her community to ICE visits and immigration hearings. She serves as a French interpreter for asylum seekers, assists in family reunification efforts for unaccompanied minors and families separated at the border, and conducts country conditions research to assist pro bono lawyers and law school clinics working with asylum seekers from Afghanistan and other countries. In 2021, she completed an intensive year-long training program in immigration law through Villanova University, VIISTA - Villanova Interdisciplinary Immigration Studies Training for Advocates, and in 2022 was recognized as a Fully Accredited Representative in immigration law by the US Department of Justice.

Cyndy is passionate in her advocacy for human rights. As a retired therapist, she is sensitive to working with traumatized people. She is committed to doing whatever she can to ensure that vulnerable people arriving in this country are treated humanely and are able to obtain legal representation that is accessible, affordable, compassionate, and competent.

In addition to speaking English, French, and German fluently, Cyndy is proficient in Spanish and is currently studying Dutch and Haitian Creole.

Director

Norman is a licensed Maryland attorney that started a law firm called The Burning Bush Lawyers, LLP. He received both his undergraduate and graduate degrees in Social Work from The Ohio State University, prior to attending Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law.

He became interested in law during his time investigating the merits of claims of wrongful conviction as a graduate student intern with the Ohio Office of the Public Defender's Wrongful Conviction Project. Since that time, he has worked in areas of ex-offender community reentry, public interest law, Veteran's affairs, and family law and mediation.

Given the nationwide need for quality legal guidance for people fleeing from persecution to freedom and safety, he is honored to serve on the Board of an immigration legal services provider that not only represents immigrants in Pittsburgh but also provides mentorship to advocates and attorneys around the country.

Department of Justice Accredited Representative

Raised by Argentine immigrant parents, Veronica enjoyed a bicultural upbringing in Argentina before settling on the east coast of the US as a young adult, where she obtained her master’s degree, M.A.L.S. from Rutgers University. After gaining managerial experience and 25 years in corporate America’s finance sector, Veronica pivoted to a new career path several years ago.

Driven to make a meaningful difference, Veronica retired from corporate life in 2008 to establish a boutique foreign language school in New York. Her education journey naturally led her to provide pro bono ESL classes and translation services for the local immigrant community, igniting her advocacy for immigrants' rights. Motivated by her commitment to social justice and human rights, Veronica enrolled in Villanova University’s VIISTA program to prepare for immigration legal practice.

Veronica's dedication to supporting and advocating for immigrants stems from a profound respect for human dignity and a heartfelt desire to help individuals achieve their dreams and secure their futures just like her parents did. Fluent in English, Spanish, French, and Italian, with ongoing studies in Portuguese, she also enjoys sketching, mastering new languages, and learning about diverse cultures. She is pursuing a postgraduate certification in International Relations at Harvard University and cherishes family time with her daughter, three grandchildren, husband, and beloved dog, in their Hudson Valley home.