Through her campus jobs at the Center for Prison Education, the Wesleyan Refugee Project/IRIS (Integrated Refugee Immigrant Services), and the Kidcity Children’s Museum, Isha Bah ’26 practices how to shape education to fit the context of learners’ backgrounds and environments. Their student employee experiences as an educator have emphasized how learning can serve students’ “sense of autonomy and confidence.” Being able to impact immigrant and incarcerated communities positively through this work has inspired Isha to pursue a career in law.
In what ways have your campus jobs contributed to your personal, academic, or professional growth and aspirations? What skills have you gained?
All of my jobs center on some form of education. CPE {Center for Prison Education} provides access to education {to incarcerated individuals} through TA assistance, WRP {the Wesleyan Refugee Project} through individual tutoring {for refugees and immigrants}, and KidCity {Children’s Museum} through interactive exhibits in a museum. All of them have shown me how education can look different and similar across multiple age groups and identities. My jobs have taught me to make education flexible, shaping and molding it to fit every individual group or person I work with, because the context of their individual background and environment matters. I’ve learned that the interdependent approach to each of these jobs allows students/learners not only to learn the material in front of them most efficiently but also to gain a sense of autonomy and confidence in their own ability and intelligence.
I’ve been inspired to continue doing the work I do at Wesleyan outside of Wesleyan once I graduate. My current goals are shaped around working with immigrant and/or incarcerated populations, and specifically those who are children. My passion for juvenile work has continued to be cultivated in these spaces, and I now aspire to work as a criminal and immigration lawyer at some point in my life.
Can you share any memorable experiences or achievements from your campus employment journey?
Many of my most memorable experiences have to do with seeing the faces of students when they finally start getting the material. They light up, and you can feel their pride and confidence. I’m just grateful to be a part of that process of getting them to that point.
How do you manage to balance your campus jobs with academic commitments and other activities?
My academic commitments align with my campus jobs, so they end up fueling each other. I took a student forum on refugee resettlement, which involved volunteering at IRIS {Integrated Refugee Immigrant Services, through the Jewett Center for Community Partnerships}. Not only was I being educated on policies in the US that impacted refugee and immigrant populations, but I was also getting that hands-on experience with working with that very population. It gave me enough background to step into IRIS with a more comprehensive idea of what the refugee experience was, but also fueled much of my passion for volunteering at IRIS. The same goes for CPE {Center for Prison Education}; a lot of my coursework centers around understanding the carceral system. Working at CPE allows me to practice the theory I learn in class, so my education isn’t confined to a classroom. It most importantly humanizes the material I learn because the systems we learn about aren’t just there to be there, they have detrimental impacts of specific populations.
What advice would you give to students who are seeking or starting their campus employment journey?
I would say try out all the different types of jobs. I never thought I would or could be a Tutor or Teaching Assistant because I didn’t come to Wesleyan with that in mind, and I felt my speech impediment wouldn’t make me the right fit for it. I never thought my work would be so heavily centered around education until I let my curiosity and coursework lead me to work I’m happy I found. Don’t restrict yourself to one thing; you’ll find what you’re passionate about when you embrace your curiosity and learn by experience what’s for you and what isn’t.
How have your campus jobs helped you build connections or networks within the university or broader community?
I’ve met people I never would have met in my classes or around campus. A lot of these spaces feel very different from the spaces on campus. You get to go outside the bubble that Wesleyan becomes through these jobs, and I’ve met the most talented and inspiring people by doing so.
Give your campus job supervisor(s) a shout out – what did you love about their mentorship?
Shoutout to Gladys from IRIS {Integrated Refugee Immigrant Services} – I enjoy watching the way you interact with the children with a good balance of kindness and seriousness. I admire the work you do, and you inspire me to keep going!
The Kidcity Children’s Museum is an off-campus organization that partners with Wesleyan University Campus Employment through the federal work-study program.
The Wesleyan Refugee Project is a program managed by the Jewett Center For Community Partnerships, which includes paid and volunteer opportunities to work with Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services (IRIS).
Updated March 31, 2026.
