Dancing in Discomfort: Lessons from a Refugee Advocate – Amy Dott Harmer
What would you do if you had to start over in a new country, far from everything familiar?
Amy Dott Harmer has spent a decade answering that question—not for herself, but for thousands of refugees in Utah. As Executive Director of Utah Refugee Connection, Amy shares what it's like to truly show up for people who have lost everything, and how dancing awkwardly in a circle of refugee women taught her one of her most important lessons about empathy, connection, and courage.
In this episode of Uncomfy, host Julie Rose joins Amy Dott as she reflects on the joy and heartbreak of her work, the persistent misunderstandings around refugee, immigrant, and asylum status, and how, more and more, her efforts to serve and advocate have started to feel political in ways they didn’t before.
Subscribe for more thought-provoking stories that challenge, inspire, and get a little Uncomfy.
Learn more or get involved with Utah Refugee Connection: https://serverefugees.org
Share your own “uncomfy” story at uncomfy@byu.edu
Check out Julie’s other podcast, Top of Mind with Julie Rose: https://lnkfi.re/TopofMind
Episode transcript: https://uncomfypodcastbyu.blogspot.com/2025/04/dancing-in-discomfort-lessons-from.html
CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction
00:44 Meet Amy Dott Harmer: A Decade with Refugees
01:13 Dancing Out of the Comfort Zone
03:38 Building Connections and Understanding
05:21 The Role of Utah Refugee Connection
08:18 Challenges in a Politicized Climate
13:19 Personal Reflections and Broader Impact
15:52 Conclusion and Call to Action
Amy Dott Harmer has spent a decade answering that question—not for herself, but for thousands of refugees in Utah. As Executive Director of Utah Refugee Connection, Amy shares what it's like to truly show up for people who have lost everything, and how dancing awkwardly in a circle of refugee women taught her one of her most important lessons about empathy, connection, and courage.
In this episode of Uncomfy, host Julie Rose joins Amy Dott as she reflects on the joy and heartbreak of her work, the persistent misunderstandings around refugee, immigrant, and asylum status, and how, more and more, her efforts to serve and advocate have started to feel political in ways they didn’t before.
Subscribe for more thought-provoking stories that challenge, inspire, and get a little Uncomfy.
Learn more or get involved with Utah Refugee Connection: https://serverefugees.org
Share your own “uncomfy” story at uncomfy@byu.edu
Check out Julie’s other podcast, Top of Mind with Julie Rose: https://lnkfi.re/TopofMind
Episode transcript: https://uncomfypodcastbyu.blogspot.com/2025/04/dancing-in-discomfort-lessons-from.html
CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction
00:44 Meet Amy Dott Harmer: A Decade with Refugees
01:13 Dancing Out of the Comfort Zone
03:38 Building Connections and Understanding
05:21 The Role of Utah Refugee Connection
08:18 Challenges in a Politicized Climate
13:19 Personal Reflections and Broader Impact
15:52 Conclusion and Call to Action
Activity