Matthew Phillips recently was hired as an immigration specialist for Catholic Charities.
“My duties include assisting clients to renew their permanent residence cards, DACAs and temporary protected status,” he said “I also help Afghan refugees with their immigration paperwork.”
Phillips said he was first exposed to immigration and refugee resettlement work while attending Catholic Charities Summer Institute.
“While there, an immigration specialist gave a presentation on her work, and I distinctly remember thinking, ‘Huh, that seems like a pretty neat job;’ after which, I never gave it a second thought.”
After graduating from high school, he attended Benedictine College in Atchison, Kan., where he double majored in history and foreign languages with an emphasis in Spanish, Latin and Greek. He spent a semester studying in Spain.
After graduation, he taught five years in Catholic schools, including one year at Immaculate Heart of Mary in North Little Rock and four years at North Little Rock Catholic Academy.