Patrick Karemera

Patrick Karemera was born and raised in the Democratic Republic of Congo and has been fortunate to spend time in several other countries: Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi, and Rwanda. He used his BA degree in Sociology to work with several nonprofits around the continent of Africa. After winning a Diversity Lottery Visa, Patrick was able to immigrate to Iowa. He now works as a Refugee Resettlement Caseworker in one of Iowa’s largest refugee resettlement agencies. Patrick finds value in himself and connection with others through sharing his story and bringing awareness to the Diversity Lottery Visa process. 

Matthew Kolodziej

Matthew volunteers in his community with a specific passion for serving and building relationships with the unhoused in Des Moines. Adversity has been a big part of his personal story, and he’s been blessed to overcome some major challenges in his life to become a more productive member of his community. From his own experiences, Matthew has learned that change begins on the inside and expresses itself outward and upward. Change is a collective experience. Matthew would like to use his personal experiences and education to effectively hold space for others to identify their own adversity and develop the tools to over come them.