Indiana Garcia, a former Fulbright scholar from Nicaragua is pursuing a Ph.D. in public affairs at the University of Missouri, focusing on immigration policy and qualitative research methods. With nearly two decades of nonprofit experience, she has witnessed firsthand migration’s profound effects on sending and receiving communities. As a migrant herself, she is deeply committed to giving a humanitarian face to policy by conveying the needs and aspirations of both migrants and host societies. Her research, supported by the APSA 2024 Fund for Latino Scholarship, explores why migrants increasingly choose nontraditional destinations like Missouri and examines the policies and conditions that influence these choices. This grant will allow her to present her findings at academic conferences and conduct further interviews, deepening her understanding of migration patterns. She aims to bridge policy and human experience, offering valuable insights to inform effective strategies for accommodating newcomers and addressing their needs in their new and original communities.