Growing up in a refugee camp, daily, she was reminded she was a refugee.  Going to and from the camp she had to show her ID.  Her family didn’t have to live in the camp, but like many other refugee families, they couldn’t afford to live outside the camp. Within the camp it was very insecure - physical and armed clashes, Lebanese vs refugees and Palestinians vs Palestinians. It was a harsh reality for a young girl and for the many refugee children who lived in that environment. However, Hourie reasoned that if she did her part, by pursuing her education as far as she could, if things didn’t work out, it wouldn’t be for lack of trying. It wouldn’t be her fault.

Moving from the tropical climate of Ghana to the frigid winters of Michigan was a profound culture shock for Samuel. Not only did he have to adjust to the weather, but also to a culture that felt far more individualistic than the one he had always known.

In Ghana, community is woven into everyday life. Everyone is treated like family—there are no distinctions between cousins, stepbrothers, or stepsisters; they are simply brothers and sisters. Having grown up in such a close-knit environment, the transition was especially difficult.

In this episode, you have the privilege of getting two unique perspectives combined - the perspective of an immigrant and the perspective of a recruiter. 

Here is a sample peek into of some of the nuggets of wisdom Nicole shares:

• The importance of research - pre and post migrating.

• How to promote your work experience from another country.

• How to recognize when an organization is willing to embrace and values your background and foreign work experiences.

Katarina has had many successes in America, we know that being an immigrant is challenging. Katarina, like many of you reading this, has shed many tears during the uncertainty, struggling through times of lack or loneliness or the pain of just not understanding the US education, immigration or housing system or just getting lost on the subway system. On multiple occasions she had to ask for help and Katarina says people were always willing to help. But you have to ask, she admonishes. As immigrants, sometimes we are too proud or ashamed to ask for help. But it is impossible to succeed in a foreign country without support