The IRC Denver team welcomed it’s new ED Tanya Vitusagavulu on April 10. Tanya previously served as the Maryland Director for Refugee Immigrant Services in the Washington DC metropolitan area at Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area. An immigrant herself, Tanya was born and raised in Suva, Fiji and moved to the US as a teenager. Her passion for service and her own personal story of being affected by political conflict in her native country is what drove her to join the US refugee resettlement field. Tanya has been working in US resettlement for the past 7 years and started as a case manager. Having served hundreds of refugees, Tanya is inspired by their tenacity and resilience and has enjoyed learning about their personal stories. Tanya holds a BA in International Studies with a focus on International Peace and Conflict Resolution from American University, School of International Service in Washington DC and is pursuing an MA in Refugee Protection and Forced Migration Studies at the University of London, School of Advanced Study in London, United Kingdom. Tanya is excited to be back in Denver after serving as a camp counselor for inner-city youth as part of a college summer project back in 2012.

Since moving to Denver, Tanya is looking forward to learning how to ski and enjoys watching foreign films, traveling, working out and spending time with her family in her free time. Her favorite motto is:

“Be the change you want to see in the world”. 

Written by: Hanna Simmons