Christele packed her bags and traveled from Haiti to the United States with the intention of staying for 2 weeks. She came to the U.S. to get away from the dangers and stress disrupting her life in Haiti. The two weeks turned permanent when she realized it was unsafe...
Nicole was a journalist in her home country of Haiti for 20 years. She was forced to leave Haiti because of volatile political situations bearing abuse, kidnapping and murder targeting journalists. Coming to the United States with her young daughter was not easy as...
Dihelin is from the West African country of Togo, where she studied sociology at the University of Togo before moving to the United States. She left her home in search of a better life and to work toward her goal of helping others by becoming a nurse or doctor....
Bushrah was born in Uganda. She is the oldest of five siblings and the first in her family to attend college. Her time in the U.S. has not been easy. She’s faced several challenges, from domestic violence to homelessness. She is now a single mother of two young...
Catheline is from Haiti. In her home country she faced many challenges getting an education. Although she started school in 1968 she didn't graduate from high school until 2007 because of economic difficulties that required her to stop and re-start many times. She...
Anny lost her mother to cancer when she was just 13 years old. Growing up with her father and three brothers she learned to be strong, grateful, and happy. In her home country she worked hard to achieve her professional goals. Now living in the U.S. she is determined...
Kimberly was born in the Dominican Republic and immigrated to the U.S. in search of a better life and educational opportunities. She believes that her creativity, innovation, and communication skills have helped her get to where she is today, and she hopes to use...
As a 20-year old graduate in Uganda with a bachelor's degree in Accounting, Hajarah was gaining the confidence to make decisions for herself rather than for others as she had done in the past. The choices she made to live a better life for herself resulted in her...
Juan immigrated to the U.S. in search of a better life for both himself and his parents. For much of his life he has struggled with a medical condition which he was unable to receive adequate care in his home country. In addition to the physical burdens related to his...
Fougere was born in Haiti and immigrated to the U.S. to seek a better life for himself and his family. When Fougere moved to the U.S. he faced a language barrier, but he was determined to be a role model to his five children. He is currently working to improve his...
Kevin grew up in the Dominican Republic with his mom and siblings while his father worked in the U.S. As a child, he suffered from asthma and spent a lot of time in the hospital. Despite his physical challenges, he excelled in school and taught himself how to draw and...
“Deep inside me there is space where faith, hope, and gratitude bloom”. Alesy’s story starts on the island country of Cape Verde where from a young age she was taught about the importance of education, faith, and caring for others. Three years ago, Alesy made the leap...
Sonia is the youngest of nine children born in a small town in Brazil. When she was a child her father and his uncle were killed by a drunk driver. The tragedy left Sonia's mother with nine children to raise. Her mother had to work incessantly along with several of...
In 1999 Maria completed her bachelor’s degree at the University of Unicerp in Patrocinio, Brazil. During college and after graduation she worked as a teacher and supervisor in the early childhood education field. When given the opportunity to come to the United States...
Viktorija moved to the United States from Latvia and attended high school in a small town outside of Boston. At the age of 18 she moved away from a terrible situation at home and finished out her high school year while staying at different friends' houses. After...
Valentina came to the United States from Colombia. When she arrived the language was foreign, the culture unknown, and the environment vastly different from what she was accustomed to. As she set foot in her new life, she knew she had to start from the bottom,...
Qiaomin is from China, where she attended college before moving to the U.S. in 2019. During the coronavirus pandemic, Qiaomin lost her part-time job and her grandfather was diagnosed with stomach cancer. Being the only family member to speak any English, she took on...
From Casablanca, Morocco, Khadija came to the United States in 2016 looking for better opportunities. She was a star student throughout all her studies in her home country, but had to start all over when she came to the United States. Shortly after she came to the...
Kherrina is from Kingston, Jamaica – a city known for it’s vibrant night life and severe economic hardship. Her childhood was not easy. She grew up in a toxic environment, but still managed to be an exemplary student. Her hard work paid off and she was placed in one...
Diana is from the Dominican Republic where much of the country lives in poverty. She is the first in her family to move to the United States looking for opportunities for a better life. She excelled in academics of all levels in her home country despite the toxic...
Brima is from Sierra Leone, West Africa – a country that has experienced an 11-year civil war, an Ebola virus epidemic, mudslides, flooding, corruption, hunger, and poverty. Brima moved to the United States in 2017 to create a better life for himself and his family....
Yves was born and raised in Haiti. When Yves arrived in the U.S. she was met with many challenges. As a single mother of three, Yves struggled to juggle work and support her daughter who battled severe depression. The enforced isolation during the pandemic was hard...
Lilian came to the United States with her husband and two children to get away from violence that disrupted her family in Brazil. Her first year in the U.S. was very hard. She knew no English and could not work, so her family had serious financial and emotional...
In 2005 Katia immigrated to the United States from Brazil. She came to the U.S. in order to receive the training and financial backing necessary to achieve her dream of becoming a nurse. Life has been challenging since arriving in the U.S. She works two jobs to...
Julia was born and raised in East Boston. With an unconventional upbringing, she and her siblings did not attend school or see doctors. Julia’s first experience in a classroom was at the age of nineteen when she enrolled at Harborside Community School’s Adult...
Gabriela grew up in Venezuela with a love of books inspired by her mother. Outside of her studies she worked on social projects in Caracas, attended a social empowerment course in Mexico and participated in the 2017 Yale Global Scholars program. While she was at Yale,...
Yane faced many challenges when she arrived in the United States in 2019. She needed to balance a full-time job, care for her young son, and learning English. In time she was able to get help from the Asian American Civic Association, which allowed her to find work,...
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