Over the past 37 years, Rotary Clubs in the Eastern Panhandle have organized an annual World Affairs Seminar that addresses a relevant global and national issue, with the participation of leaders from the local high schools in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia.
Understanding & Embracing Immigration through Community Dialogue and Action
Storer Ballroom, Shepherd University
Thursday, October 16, 2025
8:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Context
Immigration remains one of the most pressing and complex global issues, influencing societies at every level—from national policies to local communities to international relations. As political “climates” shift, migration patterns evolve, and tensions intensify, there is an urgent need for promoting well-informed, compassionate, and strategically balanced responses to immigration at the national and local levels.
The 2025 World Affairs Seminar addresses this urgency by providing participating students with a balanced understanding of immigration’s multifaceted nature, including the various issues and opportunities arising in the Eastern Panhandle.
Seminar Objectives
The primary objectives of the seminar for 2025 are threefold:
- To increase awareness and understanding of the main immigration issues and opportunities at national and local levels;
- To engage participating students from the local high schools in constructive dialogue about the immigration issues and emerging impacts, and the role and responsibility of individuals, communities, and governments in developing and implementing sound and balanced immigration policies and programs; and
- To encourage follow-up “engagement” by participating students in the Eastern Panhandle, in addressing constructively some aspects of the immigration issues and opportunities.
Approach
- Interactive, stimulated by four panel members, sharing their diverse experiences and perspectives
- Focus on listening, learning, and constructive dialogue about immigration issues and opportunities
- Participation from student leaders and faculty advisers from local high schools (10), before and after the seminar, including follow-up engagement through community volunteer service, travel, essays, and other avenues (80–120 students)
Seminar Agenda
Arrival and Snacks
8:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.
Welcome
8:30 a.m. – 8:40 a.m.
Dr. Jack DeRochi, Provost
Shepherd University
Overview & Logistics
8:40 – 8:45 a.m.
Chazz Printz, Esq.
Rotarian & Moderator
Session 1
8:45 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.
American Asylum Law Within Worldwide Refugee Crisis
Paul Grussendorf
Retired Federal Immigration Judge and Author
Brief overview of international community’s refugee regimen, UN Convention on Refugees, other countries’ systems, U.S. asylum law, and where we stand today.
Understanding Immigrant Statuses, Rights, and Barriers in the United States
Katy Lewis
Senior Immigration Lawyer, Mountain State Justice
This session will provide an overview of the various paths to temporary and permanent status in the United States and highlight some of the complexities of the law and other obstacles, including changing policies and increased enforcement, that immigrants face. We will discuss some of the unique challenges WV immigrants face. We will also highlight the legal rights of non-citizens who are undocumented, out of status or hold various other types of immigration status.
Immigrant Integration is a Two-Way Street
Pablo Blank
MA, EML, Director of Immigrant Integration at CASA
Brief overview of international community’s refugee regimen, UN Convention on Refugees, other countries’ systems, U.S. asylum law, and where we stand today.
Personal Reflections on my Journey from El Salvador to becoming a US Citizen/resident of WV
José Romero
Immigrant and Business owner
Brief overview of international community’s refugee regimen, UN Convention on Refugees, other countries’ systems, U.S. asylum law, and where we stand today.
Session 2
10:45 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.
Panel Discussion and Q & A
Lunch
11:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Session 3
12:00 p.m. - 12:45 p.m.
Breakout Group Discussion
Guiding Questions
- Nowadays, what causes refugees to flee their countries? Where do most of them end up?
- What are the fundamental values of our immigration system? What should the fundamental values of our immigration system be? How would you change immigration system in the United States?
- How can our community , including students, support smoother integration of immigrants in our community?
- How do you perceive an immigrant (often by external appearance) on first impression?
Session 4
12:45 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Breakout Session Summaries
Conclusions and Follow-Up
Take-Home Messages and Opportunities for Further Engagement
Our Speakers
Paul Grussendorf
Retired Federal Immigration Judge and Author
Paul Grussendorf was director of the Immigration Clinic at George Washington University from 1986 to 1996, has been an immigration judge in Philadelphia and San Francisco, was a Refugee Officer with U.S. Citizenship & Naturalization Service and a Supervisory Asylum Officer, and is a consultant to the UN Refugee Agency. He has traveled all over the world adjudicating refugee applications. His book My Trials: Inside America’s Deportation Factories is a scathing indictment of America’s dysfunctional immigration system.
Katy Lewis
Senior Attorney (Immigration), Mountain State Justice
Katy Lewis has been practicing immigration law since she graduated from the University of North Carolina School of Law in 2006. Following law school, she clerked at the Los Angeles Immigration Court, part of the U.S. Department of Justice. Between 2007 to 2018, she worked at two San Francisco-based immigration law firms, where her work focused on complex removal defense, immigration appeals, family and humanitarian immigration cases. From 2018 to 2022, Katy served as a consulting attorney with the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc., Defending Vulnerable Populations Program, focused on providing mentorship and technical assistance to attorneys. She joined the non-profit organization Mountain State Justice as a senior attorney in January 2021, launching an immigration program to provide pro bono immigration legal services for low-income West Virginia residents in removal proceedings and in humanitarian and family-based immigration cases.
Pablo Blank, MA, EML
Director of Immigrant Integration at CASA
Since 2013, Pablo has led efforts that helped more than 7,000 lawful permanent residents become U.S. citizens and supported over 10,000 families with free tax filing, generating $20 million in economic impact. Pablo partners with federal and state agencies, including the IRS Advisory Council, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Maryland Comptroller’s New Americans Advisory Group, to advance immigrant inclusion and equity. Pablo is the Chair of Montgomery County’s Committee Against Hate-Violence. He holds a Master’s in Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility and an Executive Master’s in Leadership from Georgetown University. He oversees citizenship, AmeriCorps, financial education, and free tax preparation programs in four states.
José Romero
Immigrant and Business owner
Born and raised in El Salvador. Came to US as an undocumented immigrant (in 1995). Become US citizen in 2005. Developed various technical skills and held various jobs in tech. companies. Established a local business (2015), ING Granite, serving the tri-state area, and now run as a family business. Travels to El Salvador twice per year.