Mahmoud – an Egyptian tour guide forced out of Egypt during the Arab Spring. Imelda – a survivor who grew up in a very tough part of El Salvador. Tetyana – a tough cookie from Ukraine. Ahed- a Syrian activist who fled Aleppo only after Assad tried to stop her. Roin- a soft spoken photojournalist from South Ossetia. Miguel – the most humble man from Peru who is now a paramedic. Kassim – a gentle soul with a big smile from Burkina Faso. These individuals have one thing in common… They came to the New York City, all alone, with extremely limited English. Just watch the video to see where they are now.

It was an inspiring and humbling couple of days as I met these amazing people and learned their stories. I think we can oftentimes take for granted what being born in America means. At a minimum this experience taught me to count my blessings and always, always, always give back.

I highly recommend getting involved by clicking the link here: https://www.riversidelanguage.org/