Spotlight September 2025

IIB would not be able to make WNY a better place for, and because of, immigrants and refugees were it not for our team, the community, and those we serve.

Renee Ridolfi
Assistive Technology Professional at Numotion

Thanks to Renee Ridolfi from Numotion, who has helped our refugee clients with mobility issues. Over the last few years, she worked to obtain five custom, state-of-the-art, and life-changing wheelchairs.

Thanks to her, our clients are leading productive lives, including an eight-year-old girl from Somalia with cerebral palsy, a 20-year-old man from Syria with cerebral palsy, a six-year-old boy

from the Congo with cerebral palsy, a 30-year-old man from Iraq born with spina bifida, and a woman from Burma/Myanmar, who was born severely disabled.

We appreciate all the good work that Renee and Numotion has done for our clients and other Western New Yorkers with disabilities.

Click here to learn more about how we help foreign-born people quickly and successfully become part of the community.

Tayeeba Ali
Interpreting & Translation Assistant

Tayeeba Ali is one of the newer additions to the team. Even so, she is no stranger to IIB.

She arrived from Afghanistan in February 2024 and enrolled in our Professional Pathways program in the following month. The program helps immigrants, refugees, and asylees return to their former professional careers or continue their higher education to attain the credentials they 

need to practice their trade in the United States.

Tayeeba holds a degree in Computer Science from Afghanistan and is fluent in English, Dari, and Farsi. She has also worked as an interpreter for IIB and volunteered her time. When a position opened on the Interpreting & Translation team, she was thrilled to apply.

With her knowledge, language skills, and dedication to clients, Tayeeba is an excellent addition to our team!

Click here to learn more about the opportunities at IIB. 

Fourkan Hossain
Bengali and German Translator

Fourkan Hossain, a Bengali and German translator at IIB, was born in Bangladesh and completed his education there. In August 2023, he arrived in the United States as an exchange student at the University of Oklahoma, where he pursued studies in literature.

He worked as a teaching assistant and completed his M.A. in American Studies through a joint program with the University of Paderborn, Germany. After the program, he moved to Buffalo to be near relatives. He now also works with Buffalo Public Schools as a teacher.

Bangla (also known as Bengali) is his native language. He learned English through schooling in Bangladesh and abroad. He learned German while studying in Germany. He also knows Rohingya, Hindi, and Urdu, which he learned through community interactions and working in multicultural environments.

He enjoys reading literature (especially postcolonial studies), traveling, engaging in community service projects, learning new languages, exploring different cultures, and writing. He’s written many poems, including works advocating for equal rights, opposing fascism, and supporting fundamental and voting rights.

Click here to learn more about our expert language services.   

Phoebe Lawton
Communications and Development Intern

Phoebe Lawton is a third-year student at Gordon College in Massachusetts.

Phoebe spent her busy summer in our Communications and Development Department writing blogs, learning behind the scenes, and providing event support. She also worked at the Buffalo Zoo during the season. As a City Honors graduate born and raised in North Buffalo, she says learning about the world and how different cultures interact and thrive continues to inspire and motivate her.

She currently studies Political Science and Social Work. Phoebe also works as a teacher’s assistant on campus. She hopes to study abroad and eventually work with the immigrant community or in another social capacity.

Phoebe credits the internship experience with helping to conceptualize career options further, while also sharpening her skills in writing and messaging. Outside of school and work, Phoebe enjoys the outdoors, hiking, swimming, and playing guitar.

Learn about being an IIB intern.

Metin Arda Eroglu, Volunteer

A special thank you to Metin Arda Eroglu, who has been volunteering with IIB for two years, providing essential support for a variety of programs. Beginning first as a volunteer helping with our home setups for New Americans, he then participated in our annual New American Thanksgiving dinner with Parkside Lutheran Church, our Refugees of Comedy fundraiser, and the Community World Trivia competition. He has also sorted donations and helped New Americans practice essential English language skills!  

Click here to learn more about how you or your organization can volunteer and give back to the community.

"The International Institute of Buffalo makes Western New York a better place for, and because of, immigrants and refugees."