Our Story
In 2003, my mother and siblings moved to the United States to unite with my father. Before moving to the United States, we learned that America was a "different place." We were told that no one cared about foreign degrees and that most educated foreigners worked in positions well below their educational levels. This was no different for my father. My dad, a Boston University-trained Sociologist worked in a group home as a Direct Support Staff. Many days when my Dad returned from work, we could see the disappointment on his face, and whenever he could, he would speak about how much he disliked his job.
So, I made a promise to myself to figure out the system and ensure that other immigrants did not have the same experience as my father. The seed for assisting African immigrant professionals was planted, but I was also aware that I needed more research and support. In 2013, I made the decision to enroll in a doctoral program. from the very moment I entered grad school, I was certain of what I wanted my research to focus on. After almost five years of schooling and procrastinating, I finished my dissertations on, "The experiences of African Immigrants who have successfully matriculated to managerial positions in Minnesota." With my dissertation completed, I connected with Sata Margretta Getaweh and Rita Apaloo to establish the African Immigrant Professional Development Conference based on the findings of my research. The first Annual AIPDC was held on Saturday, September 22, 2018.
The conference has been a great success but we quickly realized to make an impact, that we would have to go beyond networking and create partnerships that would place African immigrants in positions that are comparable with their skill set.
Margretta and I worked together to start the Center for Immigrant Career Advancement ( CICA).
In 2003, my mother and siblings moved to the United States to unite with my father. Before moving to the United States, we learned that America was a "different place." We were told that no one cared about foreign degrees and that most educated foreigners worked in positions well below their educational levels. This was no different for my father. My dad, a Boston University-trained Sociologist worked in a group home as a Direct Support Staff. Many days when my Dad returned from work, we could see the disappointment on his face, and whenever he could, he would speak about how much he disliked his job.
So, I made a promise to myself to figure out the system and ensure that other immigrants did not have the same experience as my father. The seed for assisting African immigrant professionals was planted, but I was also aware that I needed more research and support. In 2013, I made the decision to enroll in a doctoral program. from the very moment I entered grad school, I was certain of what I wanted my research to focus on. After almost five years of schooling and procrastinating, I finished my dissertations on, "The experiences of African Immigrants who have successfully matriculated to managerial positions in Minnesota." With my dissertation completed, I connected with Sata Margretta Getaweh and Rita Apaloo to establish the African Immigrant Professional Development Conference based on the findings of my research. The first Annual AIPDC was held on Saturday, September 22, 2018.
The conference has been a great success but we quickly realized to make an impact, that we would have to go beyond networking and create partnerships that would place African immigrants in positions that are comparable with their skill set.
Margretta and I worked together to start the Center for Immigrant Career Advancement ( CICA).
