Lehigh University Posse Scholar Jordan Hackman.
Lehigh University Posse Scholar Jordan Hackman.

Lehigh Scholar Leads Local Refugee Assistance Organization

Fall 2020 | Bay Area

Jordan Hackman, a sophomore Posse Scholar at Lehigh University, is a leader of the campus chapter of No Lost Generation (NLG), a student organization that works locally to assist refugees in the surrounding Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, community. Beyond Lehigh, NLG is an international initiative founded to support children and youth affected by crises in Syria and Iraq.

As a sociology, anthropology and religious studies triple-major, Jordan initially joined NLG because she was interested in learning more about the challenges and hardships that refugees face on a global scale. Jordan’s involvement with the organization to date has only deepened her commitment to this issue.

“I came in not knowing or anticipating that I would be so passionate,” she says. “The refugees we work with are mostly Syrian and face a lot of discrimination in Bethlehem. They lack access to social services and to basic information about things like transportation.”

Jordan works closely with Syrian refugee children and families as a tutor and as NLG’s social outreach chair.

Jordan works closely with Syrian refugee children and families.

“Many of the children describe being bullied,” she says. “It’s hard for them and their families to navigate the culture when there are a lot of cultural dissimilarities including the language. [From the time they arrive in the U.S.], they only have three months to find a job, secure housing, and get their papers processed.”

Jordan also builds programs to educate Lehigh’s student body on issues surrounding Syrian and non-Syrian refugees.

Jordan’s experience with NLG has inspired her to incorporate the field into her academic studies; she is now pursuing research on the lived experiences of first-generation Syrian refugees. She plans to use her time at Lehigh to continue expanding the organization’s prominence on campus and its work in the community.