We have worked with the International Institute of New England (IINE) for the past six years, often producing videos for their annual Golden Door Award Gala. The event honors a person born outside of the U.S. who has made outstanding contributions to American society. This year, we produced a short profile video about Dr. Giovanni Caforio, Executive Chairman of the Board and former CEO of Bristol Myers Squibb.
A second video we produced for the gala was a short profile of a former IINE client, Dr. Pierre Laurent. Dr. Laurent emigrated from Haiti to the United States in 2021. In Haiti, he was first a doctor in a rural part of the country and then served in a hospital in Port au Prince. After the earthquake in 2010, he got involved in the fight against cholera and eventually was appointed by the Prime Minister to lead the infectious disease program for the capital.
The increasing instability and violence in Haiti, however, forced him to leave with his wife and son. After studying English intensively, Dr. Laurent came to IINE to study as a certified nursing assistant, hoping to stay in the medical field. IINE, however, saw his potential as someone who could support other immigrants and invited him to join the organization as a case specialist. With the influx of Haitian immigrants into Boston and the surrounding areas, Dr. Laurent is a valuable connection and resource for the Haitian community.
Dr. Laurent is one of many IINE staff who are immigrants now helping to resettle those who have followed them. Stepping into the offices is like entering a mini-UN – staff from all over the world, helping new immigrants from all over the world begin their journey in the U.S.