Refugee Career Pathways
Identify, Plan and Start Your Career
- Our mission is to empower you to secure living-wage jobs through education and hands-on experience.
- Our team offers support in college navigation and work readiness to ensure your success.
Upcoming Events
How We Help You
When you work with Los Rios and our partners, you will receive free services in the following areas.
Refugee Career Pathways (RCP) Program
The RCP program helps refugees and other ORR-eligible individuals gain the guidance and support they need to build meaningful careers in the United States.
With personalized coaching and a Career Development Plan, participants explore opportunities, overcome barriers, and take steps toward employment in their desired field.
Through the RCP program, you can access:
- A personalized career development plan
- One-on-one support and guidance
- Vocational English language training
Your career path starts here – let us help you take the next step. Please see our upcoming events for our next RCP Program Orientation provided in your language.
College Navigation with Language Support
Attend Refugee Career Pathways College Navigation Drop-In Workshops, where our peer mentor team can help you navigate college processes, including:
- College application
- FAFSA
- Residency paperwork
- Class registration
The peer mentors provide support in the student's first language. Our current language capacity is Dari/Pashto, Farsi, Russian, Ukrainian, and Spanish.
Work Readiness/Career Coaching
Get job-ready with career-related workshops and one-on-one coaching designed for refugees and English language learners.
Workshops
- Build a strong resume
- Practice interview skills
- Learn job search strategies
Career Coaching
Meet one-on-one with a career coach for six sessions that will help you:
- Set goals
- Tell your career story
- Build job-readiness skills
- Create resumes and applications
- Prepare for interviews
- Start networking
Your future career starts here – see our upcoming events or email us at refugees@losrios.edu for more information.
Connect to Resources
We are connected with various refugee-serving organizations in the Sacramento region. Depending on your needs, we can help connect you with legal services, housing assistance, mental health counseling, entrepreneurship support, and more.
Connect with the Refugee Career Pathways Team
The Refugee Career Pathways program is open to all refugees, SIVs, and asylees. Call or email us for more information: (916) 563-3255 or refugees@losrios.edu.
Our Team
- Olga Prizhbilov, Director
- Katarina Bailey, Special Projects Coordinator
- Abdul Rahman Sayeed, Student Support Specialist
- Alexey Gorbatyuk, Student Support Specialist
- Nikolai Maznichenko, Student Support Specialist
- Diana Maslovtsova, Career Coaching Intern
- Leonardo Torres-Garcia, Career Coaching Intern
- Leslie Ramirez, Career Coaching Intern
- Maria Sandoval, Career Coaching Intern
- Parisa Hassani, Career Coaching Intern
- Rodrigo Navarro, Career Coaching Intern
Our Hours
Our team works a combination of remote and in-person hours. Please take a look at our Drop-In Office Hours Calendar for the most up-to-date hours and locations.
You can also reach us by phone at (916) 563-3255, email at refugees@losrios.edu, or complete the Contact Us form and we will reach out to you.
This schedule is subject to change. The schedule is current through May 15, 2026, and will change after that date based on staff availability. If you need help outside these hours, email us at refugees@losrios.edu.
Join the Program
- Submit the Contact Us form on this page.
- A peer mentor will contact you to schedule an intake meeting. At this meeting, we will ask you about your goals, check your eligibility for various refugee and English language learner programs, and help you get started with the college process (application, financial aid, class registration, and so on).
- Meet with one of our outreach specialists, who will create a Career Development Plan with you. This plan will include a short-term and long-term plan of your career goals and how Los Rios certificate and degree programs fit into those goals.
- If you are interested in a job, we will help you with the steps to secure employment in your desired field.
Eligibility Criteria
We can serve most English language learners and ORR Eligible populations. We check your eligibility criteria to determine if any grants or other resources are available to support you.
Contact Us
Our Partners
Opening Doors supports newcomers on their path to stability, self-sufficiency, and belonging.