Working from a Third-Culture Context

“Is becoming a lawyer something you actually want to do?” asked Stacey Hunter Hecht, the late associate professor and chair of Bethel’s political science department. Marisa Tillman ’16 honestly wasn’t sure at the time. Hunter Hecht told Tillman that she’d be doing tough work through oral advocacy and endless reading and writing, which can be difficult to maintain throughout one’s career. On top of it all, Tillman would be a first-generation law student, so she couldn’t quite picture what life as a lawyer would be like and if that was something she really wanted to do.

So, after Tillman graduated with a degree in sociology and international relations, she took a year to reflect on her options and her purpose. “My professors were willing to tell me that this may not be the path for me, which forced me to think about it,” Tillman said. “I took a gap year between undergrad and law school that I thought was actually really, really helpful in my decision-making process as I asked: where does God want me? Where do I want me?”

After that year, she started her program at University of Minnesota Law School, confident that working with immigration law was what she was meant to do. The interest formed during her childhood spent in the Philippines, where her parents, Andy Tillman ’87, S’91 and Lynette (Coulson) Tillman, served as Converge Worldwide missionaries. Growing up, she had witnessed her parents work with multicultural individuals and could imagine herself doing the same. During her gap year, she worked with World Relief as a legal assistant and found she loved meeting new people and helping solve problems. She needed a law degree to be able to advocate effectively for individuals needing immigration support.

Once she completed her Juris Doctor degree, she and her husband, Brooks Goodweaver, moved to Houston, Texas, to serve as a staff attorney at the St. Frances Cabrini Center for Immigrant Legal Assistance, which is part of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. Although they did not know anyone in Houston, Tillman and Goodweaver have found a home in the city—something that was important to Tillman based on her upbringing. “A lot of what I learned from my dad specifically about service and cultural competency was what really led me to find a place where I fit,” Tillman says. “That’s how I ended up in Houston. I wanted to find a place that was a good fit where I could use my skills.”

Tillman uses her skills every day on a team that represents unaccompanied minors who have just crossed the border without an adult. These children are placed into a custody situation that resembles a group home. Tillman helps provide legal resources to the children in these homes as the government locates an adult in the United States to care for them while they go through their immigration court proceedings or apply for asylum. If the child has a family member in the Houston area, Tillman will help with their legal case; if the child ends up in another state, she helps connect them with an organization that will support them in that state.

Throughout her experience, Tillman has found that understanding these children’s stories can be the most important part of the process. “Every kid has a different story,” she says. “Every kid has a different set of needs—and that translates into a legal issue because there are different things they can apply for. I help figure out what the next steps are to get them to a safe place in a way that's respectful of them as people.” She ensures the children know what’s happening at every point in the process through meeting them, learning their stories, and figuring out what she can do to help.

This job has given Tillman an opportunity to learn how to listen—how to listen to the children she serves, to the training she receives, and to the Holy Spirit when she might not know what to say during hard conversations. “This definitely is a very taxing and emotionally difficult job,” Tillman says. “I make sure that I listen to the Holy Spirit as much as possible. I'm learning a lot about how to listen, and it's definitely been a good experience. My faith has definitely grown stronger in ways that I didn't expect.”

Tillman also knows that this is what she’s meant to do. Since she had witnessed her parents follow their calling as missionaries, she’s always been familiar with a concept of calling and vocation. She also knows that while someone’s calling doesn’t have to be their career, hers just happened to align. There were a few clear moments during high school, college, and her gap year that affirmed her decisions. One of those moments happened this year, when her dad passed away unexpectedly. He was a tremendous source of support for her as she navigated difficult conversations and situations with children. “My dad had a pretty special gift when it came to working with kids outside of their cultural context,” she says. “Being able to get advice from my dad and how he raised me helped me talk to the kids that I'm now working with, which was pretty special.” Despite the tragic, life changing events in her personal life, she still found fulfillment and peace within her job and the path she’d chosen.

Her dad had also instilled within Tillman the value of finding a place where she belonged, especially as a missionary kid with a distinct perspective on cultural competency and service. She found that place at Bethel within her department and through some of the diversity, equity, and inclusion events launching during her time on campus. “It was good for me to go to a school that both valued Christ likeness but also was willing to highlight and value the diversity of opinion and diversity of thought and diversity of people. Coming to the U.S., I didn't always feel like I fit in. A lot of the diversity and inclusion activities that Bethel was starting at the time helped me feel more welcome. It made me more prepared today to interact with my kids, my clients. And so that was really valuable for me.”

Find Your Place at Bethel

As a Bethel student, you’ll approach your programs and coursework from a global perspective. And so, international students—like Tillman and her siblings—bring an invaluable perspective to the classroom. It’s our goal that all international students and third culture kids feel welcome and supported. Whether you have questions about paperwork or just want some advice, our team is here to help you get resources you need.

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