April Renewal Session

April Renewal Session

Taking Action with RMIAN

Wednesday, April 29 from noon to 1:30 pm MT via Zoom

This year, our Renewal sessions have considered where our beliefs inspire actions–from what we believe about grief and our bodies, to the actions and beliefs of our religious leaders and forebearers, to the ways our Iliff students are living out their beliefs. To finish off our Renewal season, we are asking the question, What can we do right now to take action in our beliefs?

For our April Renewal session, Mekela Goehring, Esq., friends of Iliff and Executive Director of the Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network, will be joining us to share about the actions we can take today to live out our beliefs in equity, diversity, and acceptance. She will share about the network and how we can be part of advocating for our neighbors.

Register for April Renewal Here

Speaker: Mekela Goehring, Esq.
Executive Director, Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network

Mekela Goehring has served as RMIAN’s Executive Director since 2005. She began working at RMIAN in 2003 as the organization’s first detention staff attorney, representing detained clients before the Executive Office for Immigration Review, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and the Board of Immigration Appeals. She is a frequent speaker on issues involving immigration law and policy, and works with numerous committees and groups to expand access to justice for individuals in immigration proceedings in Colorado and beyond. Mekela has served as an adjunct professor for externships at the University of Colorado Law School. Prior to working at RMIAN, Mekela clerked for Judge Casebolt at the Colorado Court of Appeals. Mekela’s passion for working for social justice through the legal system began during fellowships at Community Legal Services in Yuma, Arizona, and Colorado Legal Services in Denver, Colorado. Mekela graduated summa cum laude from the University of Colorado at Boulder and earned her J.D. from the University of Colorado Law School. She was admitted to the Colorado bar in 2002. Mekela has been a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association since 2003. In 2013, the American Immigration Lawyers Association awarded Mekela the Arthur C. Helton Human Rights Award for her outstanding service in advancing the cause of human rights. In 2018, the University of Colorado Law School awarded Mekela the Dean’s Choice—Dean Edward C. King Making a Difference Award. In her free time, Mekela enjoys spending time with her husband, two children, and all their animals in the Colorado outdoors.

At Iliff, we spend much of our time exploring theology, ethics, the world, and ourselves—wrestling with big ideas and deep questions. But what happens when we move beyond the classroom? Where do we see these beliefs lived out in the world? Who is showing up in real and authentic ways in everyday life—and how can we support them, learn from them, and join them?

This year, our Renewal series focuses on the powerful intersection of belief and action. We’ll hear from individuals both within and beyond the Iliff community who are putting their convictions into practice and making a tangible difference. Join us as we explore how ideas take shape in the world around us—and what it means for each of us to do the same.