¡Saludos! My name is Dakota Kohfield, and I am a 21-year-old recent graduate of Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. I currently live in San Antonio with my husband, Tanner.
I have been involved in the Presbyterian Church my entire life, having been raised in the United Presbyterian Church of Guernsey in my small home town of Guernsey, Wyoming. One of my first memories was of my baptism at about age 3, when the pastor told me I could go first because my cousin, who was also being baptized that day, was sleeping. The United Presbyterian Church of Guernsey, supplemented by Presbyterian church camps, youth retreats and Triennium, was very formative throughout my childhood and adolescence. When I moved to San Antonio to begin college at Trinity University, I decided to “try out” a church near campus called University Presbyterian Church. Before leaving the sanctuary on my first Sunday there (my very first Sunday in San Antonio — classes had not even begun yet), I had been introduced to the Christian education director, signed up for a mentorship volunteer program and met a family who wanted me to tutor their daughter. This pattern of communal involvement and fellowship has been an ever-present source of comfort and strength throughout the last four years.
My time at University Presbyterian Church and living in a large city has opened my eyes to the realities of many social justice matters. The cause for which I have become the most passionate is immigration. My ability to speak Spanish, my interest in the Latin American culture and my compassionate personality have led me to be involved in immigration issues facing South Texas. I have witnessed and worked on these issues from various perspectives: social and legal; nonprofit and private practice; in the office and “on the ground;” inside and outside of immigrant detention facilities. Through the Tucson Borderlands YAV Program, I hope to continue to serve these vulnerable humans who are often forgotten, mistreated and slandered.
My husband, Tanner Kohfield, and I are eager to begin our year of service! We look forward to living and working on the border, receiving guidance in vocational discernment, and building a community with our fellow YAVs and larger Tucson community.
