Ambassador Spotlight: Astrid Schmidt King

With their energy and commitment, Global Refuge Ambassadors organize, unite, and advocate for the work of welcome. These passionate leaders come from all backgrounds, each bringing their unique skills and perspectives to further our mission. One such ambassador, driven by both heart and experience, is making a profound impact.

Astrid Schmidt King, a professor and immigration attorney with an extensive background in workforce development, became a Global Refuge Ambassador to help families integrate into their new communities, find meaningful careers, and gain economic stability.

“With my experience in career guidance, I knew I could help in a number of ways, whether it’s creating resumes, preparing for job interviews, or helping them build confidence,” she says.

“What I love is that with the Ambassador program, you can find your niche and what really resonates with you.”

With active support and training from Global Refuge staff, Ambassadors carry out a wide variety of work on the ground in their communities. From organizing awareness and advocacy campaigns and hosting prayer vigils to gathering supplies and aiding local crisis response, it is the Ambassadors who embody Global Refugee’s local response in times and areas of need.

Ambassadors are encouraged to think creatively about ways they can best use their gifts and show up in the world as a Global Refuge Ambassador.

In her role as professor at Loyola University Maryland’s Sellinger Business School, Astrid has invited her students to write cards of welcome and comfort to distribute to families through our Hope for the Holidays program. She says seeing the work of welcome through the eyes of these passionate young people inspires her to continue advocating in support of refugees and immigrants in our country.

“You plant the seeds and you hope these are the people who will come out of school and start making changes to help more families in the future,” says Astrid, adding that her father, born in Germany in 1938, immigrated to America in 1963. “When students gain awareness that they can make change, it really inspires me to keep doing what I’m doing.”

Learn more about the Ambassador Program.