Michelle Alas Molina
Michelle Alas Molina (she/her) is graduating from Brown with a bachelor’s degree in international and public affairs (IAPA) and Latin American and Caribbean studies. A proud Salvadoran American, Molina grew up in California public schools after immigrating from El Salvador, and she has spent the last four years at Brown dedicating herself to working with immigrant communities in Rhode Island’s urban core. She has served as the case round leader for the Student Clinic for Immigrant Justice, and as an immigration advocate, providing pro bono legal assistance to asylum seekers. She has served as a Bonner Fellow with Progreso Latino on their policy team and the editor-in-chief of the Brown Journal of World Affairs. She is a dedicated language learner, and is fluent in English, Spanish, Portuguese and French.
Molina is deeply interested in issues of democratic governance, state institutions and human migration, with a regional focus on Central America and Brazil. She completed an honors thesis in IAPA investigating responsive governments and inclusive cities through extensive field research in Araraquara, Brazil. Her interests were encouraged through her time as a Royce Fellow, an UTRA recipient, an intern at the Inter-American Dialogue and an iProv Fellow working with the RI Center for Justice. She believes profoundly in everyone’s right to just, legal representation, and plans to dedicate the rest of her life to public interest law, in the capacity of a paralegal, organizer and attorney. She wishes to use her language skills to help communities overcome linguistic barriers when navigating the legal system. During her free time, Molina enjoys reading, long-distance running and salsa dancing.
Sarath Sarinay Suong
Sarath Sarinay Suong (he/him) was born in a Thai refugee camp after his family fled Cambodia’s civil war, later finding a home in Revere, Massachusetts. As a working-class, queer refugee, he became involved in community organizing. He co-founded and studied ethnic studies at Brown University, focusing on Southeast Asian resettlement, resilience and resistance, and will pursue a Master of Arts in Teaching at Brown.
A dedicated leader, Suong co-founded and formerly directed Providence Youth Student Movement (PrYSM), uniting Southeast Asian youth, queer and trans youth of color, and survivors of state violence against state violence. He also co-founded Alliance of Rhode Island Southeast Asians for Education, a youth-led education justice organization.
Suong is a co-founder and current board chair of AMOR (Alliance to Mobilize Our Resistance) Network, a Rhode Island coalition defending communities against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement terror. Nationally, he co-founded and recently served as national director of the Southeast Asian Freedom Network, a grassroots network fighting Southeast Asian detention and deportation. He cherishes his family, friends and young people and is a huge X-Men geek.