CATHOLIC CHARITIES
EAST TENNESSEE
Office of Immigrant Services Staff
Alessandra Ceccarelli-Masters
Manager – Immigration Legal Services – Knoxville, Tri-Cities, Chattanooga
Department of Justice (DOJ) Partially Accredited Legal Representative
Alessandra Ceccarelli-Masters received a MPhil in Politics and International Relations from Keele University (UK) in 2013. She moved to the United States the same year and started working at Catholic Charities of East Tennessee in 2014. She has been a DOJ Partially Accredited Legal Representative since 2015 and has been the Program Leader of the Office of Immigrant Services since 2016. She has represented clients in matters ranging from asylum to citizenship and has advocated for their rights in various forums. She has organized and run immigration legal clinics, citizenship workshops and Know Your Rights Presentations across East Tennessee. In recognition of her service, she was presented with the 2020 Latino Ally Award by Centro Hispano de East TN. She is fluent in Italian, English, Spanish and French.
Alma Vazquez
Department of Justice (DOJ) Partially Accredited Legal Representative – Tri-Cities Office
Alma Vazquez joined Catholic Charities of East Tennessee in 2004. She became a DOJ Partially Accredited Representative in 2009. Alma worked with migrant farm workers, DACA recipients and families; she has represented hundreds of individuals with a wide range of immigration cases. She is an expert in family reunification and DACA matters. Alma is one of the funding members of Junt@s a local organization aimed at supporting the Lantinx and international communities in Johnson City and neighboring counties. She is fluent in Spanish and English.
Edith Coral Johnson, Esq.
VOCA Staff Attorney – Knoxville, Tri-Cities, ChattAnooga
Edith Coral Johnson obtained her Juris Doctorate degree in 2000 from the University of the District of Columbia School of Law. Before joining Catholic Charities of East Tennessee in 2017, she worked for Community Legal Services (CLS) of Prince Georges County, MD. At CLS, she worked as the Director of the Worker’s Rights Legal Clinic assisting day laborers in negotiating payments for day labor work. Mrs. Johnson is currently teaching an Immigration Humanitarian Relief Clinic at the Duncan School of Law at LMU where she trains law students to work with survivors from underserved communities. She is fluent in Spanish and English.
Michael Siyuan Shao, Esq.
Staff Attorney – Knoxville, Tri-Cities, Chattanooga
Michael Shao joined the Office of Immigrant Services in February 2023. He graduated from the Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law in 2022 and is a member of the Tennessee Bar. During law school, he interned and volunteered at the Office of Immigration Services, where he found his passion for immigration law. He has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Texas A&M University. His current practice focuses on humanitarian relief, specifically asylum and services to unaccompanied minors. He is fluent in English and Mandarin.
Jacqueline Rivera Cornier
Department of Justice (DOJ) Partially Accredited Legal Representative – Chattanooga Office
Jacqueline Rivera Cornier received an MA in Human Resources Management from Universidad del Este in Yauco, Puerto Rico in 2010. She moved to the mainland in 2012 and started working in immigration law in 2020. She gained substantial experience in working on asylum cases and with unaccompanied minors at private law firms in the Chattanooga area. She joined the Chattanooga office of Catholic Charities of East TN in 2022. Jacqueline’s expertise encompasses a wide range of cases, but she has become an expert in serving Cuban entrants. Her dedication to serving the immigrant community is rooted in her beliefs of equity and justice for all. She is fluent in Spanish and English.
Alejandra Osorio Candelario
Department of Justice (DOJ) Partially Accredited Legal Representative – Knoxville Office
Alejandra Osorio Candelario graduated from Maryville College in 2023 with a BA in Psychology and Criminal Justice. While attending Maryville College she was president of the Latinx Student Alliance and the Bilingual Admission Ambassador. As a leader in these organizations, she strived to empower and advocate for the Hispanic/Latin and Dreamers communities. Alejandra is originally from Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico and migrated to the US in 2002 as an infant. Alejandra is a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient and witnessed first-hand the struggles of many immigrants in America. Alejandra joined the Office of Immigrant Service as a Legal Assistant in June of 2023 and she recently became a DOJ Partially Accredited Representative. In her new capacity, she will continue to advocate for and help others in similar situations. She is fluent in both English and Spanish.
Jovanny Alvarado
Administrative Assistant – Knoxville
Jovanny Alvarado joined Catholic Charities of East TN in August 2024. Jovanny was born and raised in Southern Florida in a mixed Puerto Rican-Mexican family. He worked as an Administrative Assistant and IT specialist in Homestead, FL before moving to Tennessee. Jovanny’s work focused on supporting children, youth and families, providing useful resources to those in need and becoming a positive role model to children and youth. He is fluent in English and Spanish.