At Upwardly Global, we believe in the power of people to change lives, and there’s no better example of that than our incredible community of volunteers. This Volunteer Appreciation Month, we’re proud to celebrate the individuals who dedicate their time, skills, and experience to helping immigrant and refugee professionals rebuild their careers and thrive in the U.S.

Each year, over 500 volunteers step into meaningful roles as mentors, mock interviewers, resume reviewers, and networking allies for our job seekers nationwide. For job seekers navigating a new country, culture, and job market, the support of a volunteer can be the difference between feeling isolated and feeling empowered.

Whether it’s offering insights on how to tailor a resume or providing interview prep that boosts a job seeker’s confidence, our volunteers are on the frontlines of breaking workforce barriers. These one-on-one connections are more than just assistance; they’re human bridges that foster belonging, community, and hope.

Volunteers come to Upwardly Global from a wide range of industries, including tech, healthcare, finance, and education. What they share is a belief that talent transcends borders. 

But don’t just take our word for it. Here’s what some of our job seekers and volunteers have to say:

 “My mentorship experience with Jane has been incredibly valuable. We meet weekly, and she has been a fantastic source of support, guidance, and encouragement. She has helped me refine my elevator pitch, improve my resume, and expand my professional network by connecting me with recruiters and HR professionals. As a result, I have two job interviews just this week! Additionally, Jane has been instrumental in helping me prepare for these interviews, offering insightful advice and feedback. Her mentorship is truly empowering, and I am grateful for the experience.”

— Kristina H., Ukraine (Job seeker)

“For the past 11 years, I’ve served Upwardly Global’s talented group of international professionals in several ways. I started out as a volunteer, providing resume and career advice. I then assisted another group of Upwardly Global’s professionals as an English coach. This year, I provided interviewing and job search advice for professionals from Chad, Germany, and Ukraine. Upwardly Global provides a modernized platform for these professionals to launch their careers in the U.S. It’s truly exciting to see them advance into the U.S. workforce!”

— Jennifer Alexander (Volunteer since 2014)

“Mentoring with Alisa was a life-changing experience that accelerated my career transformation in ways I never imagined. When I arrived in the U.S., overwhelmed by a crowded and competitive job market, she helped me uncover the power of my unique story and shape it into a bold, authentic personal brand.

With strategic precision and deep insight, Alisa equipped me with tools that expanded my network, refined my pitch, and gave me the confidence to approach top-tier companies. Her guidance didn’t just fast-track my progress — it completely redefined how I see myself as a professional and a leader. She empowered me to build a new professional identity and chart a meaningful path forward — not just to land a job, but to design a career aligned with my values. Alisa is a true force of clarity, empowerment, and transformation, and working with her was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”

— Margarita K., Russia (Job seeker)

“Volunteering with Upwardly Global has been an incredibly rewarding journey. As someone who has benefited from opportunities in the U.S., it’s been a privilege to mentor talented professionals and be a small part of their success stories. Seeing candidates thrive and achieve their dreams brings immense joy and fulfillment. Thank you, Upwardly Global, for empowering newcomers and giving me the opportunity to give back!”

— Prasad Joshi (Volunteer since 2023)

To our volunteers, thank you. Your impact is profound.

Your generosity, compassion, and commitment make it possible for newcomers to turn the page to a new chapter in their professional journeys. You are creating lasting change — one resume, one conversation, one job seeker at a time.

The need for global talent is greater than ever. So is the opportunity to be part of the change. As we aim to support 25,000 job seekers in 2025, volunteers will continue to be the heart of this work, playing a vital role in breaking down barriers to employment. 

Interested in joining our volunteer community? Learn more and sign up at www.upwardlyglobal.org/volunteer.

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When the war in Ukraine erupted in February 2022, Hanna Dudnik was faced with an unimaginable choice — remain in her Russian-occupied homeland or seek safety and opportunity for her family elsewhere. As the conflict intensified, daily life became a struggle for survival.

“My city was occupied within three days of the beginning of the war,” she says. “They isolated the city from Ukrainian transportation, food supplies, and so we were running out of food. No meat, no eggs, no cereal — I was so scared.”

For a month and a half, Hanna and her two young sons stayed in their occupied city before making a difficult call: They had to flee the country.

Escaping to a new beginning

With no concrete plan other than the hope of a safer future, Hanna accepted a friend’s invitation to come to the United States. By May, she and her two sons arrived in Southern California under the Uniting for Ukraine program.

“I was one of the first Ukrainians who ever came to the U.S. through the program,” she recalls. “The day I arrived, I applied for my work authorization, but the processing time is six to nine months. So technically, I had no right to work, and I used this opportunity to get ready for my new career.”

Although Hanna had escaped the immediate dangers of war, she now faced a new battle of rebuilding her life from the ground up in an unfamiliar country.

Reclaiming her career in the U.S.

Hanna arrived in the U.S. with over two decades of experience as an English professor at a Ukrainian university. Although her credentials wouldn’t seamlessly translate into the U.S. job market, Hanna was unwilling to abandon her career — she was determined to regain her professional footing.

“Some people recommended that I go back to college and get another bachelor’s degree because foreign diplomas mean nothing,” she remembers — it felt like doors were closing all around her. “I didn’t want to start from scratch.”

But a friend soon introduced her to Upwardly Global, an organization dedicated to helping immigrant and refugee professionals restart their careers in the U.S., and that introduction changed everything.

Finding a path forward

Her Upwardly Global career coach, Sue, became a crucial resource, guiding her through resume writing, networking strategies, and interview preparation. But the most impactful support came when Sue suggested that she apply for a scholarship to earn a TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) certificate from the University of California, Irvine.

“When I arrived, I had no money, and I couldn’t afford a professional certificate,” she explains. “But working with Upwardly Global, I suddenly had the chance to earn the certification I needed.”

While completing her TESOL certification, Hanna mentioned the course on her resume and secured her first role in the U.S. — a position as a Project Specialist at a local community college.

“Sue did a great job inspiring me,” says Hanna. “Every time I had a job interview, Sue had mock interviews with me, sending lots of useful articles on how to present myself.”

Five months later, her persistence paid off when she was offered a faculty position teaching ESL (English as a Second Language) at the same community college.

A brighter future as an educator

Today, Hanna is thriving. She teaches at two community colleges, balancing multiple roles to maximize her professional growth. With each passing day, she gains confidence and stability while providing for her children and continuing the career she loves.

“I know that I arrived in the U.S. as a refugee, but I wanted to grow my career,” she says. “Upwardly Global really opened the door for me. I really don’t know where I would be now without their support.”

Find out more about Upwardly Global’s career resources for immigrants and refugees here.

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Mimla was part of a new generation of Afghan women receiving a college education. She had earned a U.S. Embassy scholarship to study at the American University of Afghanistan. But while attending a lecture in August of 2021, Mimla’s dreams shattered as the Taliban seized control of her country.

“Our professor told us to look out the window — the country had collapsed,” she remembers. “That was a very difficult point for all of us, not just for me, but for all the women in Afghanistan, because we knew that there was no more education after this. I can’t even explain how terrible it felt — it’s just beyond words.”

When the Taliban regained control, she was forced to flee her homeland on foot. With a small group of other U.S. Embassy scholars — mostly women — Mimla escaped to Pakistan under intense pressure. 

With only an hour to cross the border, she remembers, “They were like, ‘It’s up to you how fast you can run.’ All of us ran so quickly because we all wanted a bright future and education for ourselves.”

“I left everything behind — my family, my friends, my entire life. It was terrifying, but I knew I had to keep going,” she says.

Despite the overwhelming loss, Mimla held onto hope. She completed her undergraduate degree in business administration and finance in Pakistan while simultaneously applying for graduate programs in the United States.

Continuing her education and finding support from Upwardly Global

In August 2022, Mimla received a scholarship to Bard College, which prompted her move to New York City and begin her master’s in economics.

“When we came to the U.S., it was like a completely new chapter,” she recalls. “Life was a little bit safer, but it was still very uncertain at that time because none of us had family here. Everyone was like, ‘I need a job, otherwise, what am I gonna do?’”

During her final semester at Bard, she learned about Upwardly Global, an organization providing career guidance for refugee professionals. It quickly became a lifeline as she faced the daunting task of entering the American job market.

“At first, I applied for over 200 jobs,” she says. “Then someone told me, ‘That won’t work. In the U.S., you have to build connections.’ Upwardly Global was perfect for that.”

Building connections in the U.S.

With the help of her career coach, Molly, Mimla began to understand the nuances of job searching in her new country. They worked together to refine her resume, improve her interview skills, and navigate the complexities of professional networking.

Although naturally introverted, Mimla stepped out of her comfort zone to embrace networking. With Molly’s guidance, she created a LinkedIn profile and began reaching out to potential contacts daily.

“The big thing that Molly told me was to tell your story,” she says. Sharing her journey with others became a powerful tool in building relationships. Over time, she honed her elevator pitch and clarified her aspirations in economics research.

Achieving her dream career

By June 2024, Mimla’s persistence paid off. Through these new connections, she secured a position as a Research Associate at the Center for American Progress, the second-largest think tank in Washington, D.C.

“We all respect each other a lot, and that makes it a wonderful place to work,” she says. “I’m feeling much more settled now, and I am still giving back to my people.”

In addition to her full-time role, Mimla works remotely as a Dari interpreter, helping fellow Afghans navigate resettlement and feel less alone. Despite ongoing political uncertainty, she remains dedicated to building her career and supporting her community.

“Don’t just apply to jobs — build networks and just don’t give up,” she says. “Keep trying as much as you can. The job is gonna come.”

Want to find meaningful work with Upwardly Global and help immigrants and refugees restart their careers in the U.S.? Find all of our current job openings here.

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“It’s really hard when you don’t know where to go, and Upwardly Global is guiding you and even pushing you sometimes, which is great — it’s what we need as newcomers,” says Andrei, an immigrant from Belarus. “That means everything to me. … They have a very special place in my heart.”

Finding a new path in America

In 2015, Andrei moved to the United States as an asylum seeker, equipped with a master’s degree in management and economics and more than seven years of professional experience. However, restarting his career proved challenging upon arrival, leading him to take on roles in restaurant kitchens and as a receptionist at a hair salon.

“Even though I have a work permit and social security number, being an immigrant, it’s really hard to find a good-paying job. Even with education, people are still skeptical,” he says. His initial jobs, aside from being physically demanding, lacked the professional fulfillment and financial stability he sought.

Discovering Upwardly Global during the pandemic

When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived, Andrei became unemployed after the hair salon closed its doors. Contemplating a career shift, a local community center referred him to Upwardly Global due to his high educational background. Upon connecting with Upwardly Global, Andrei underwent professional training and received personalized guidance from a job coach.

“I was lost and wasn’t sure what I really wanted to do,” he remembers. “But COVID happened and that kind of changed my life — those brave nurses and doctors jumped up to fight this horrible disease and were helping people.”

Inspired by the pandemic, he decided to pursue a career in healthcare. His job coach directed him to the returnship program with NewYork-Presbyterian (NYP). In August 2021, he secured an internship working as a registrar at COVID-19 vaccination and testing sites. His contract was extended multiple times, providing him with valuable experience and professional connections.

Growth and leadership at NewYork-Presbyterian

“I’ve met so many great people — employees from NYP and also other Upwardly Global alumni,” he says. His manager at the testing sites became a professional mentor, and engagement with colleagues formed a supportive network contributing to his positive internship experience.

After the internship’s completion in May 2022, Andrei was offered a full-time position as a Program Coordinator at NewYork-Presbyterian’s ambulatory care network operations. One year later, he was promoted to Project Leader within the same department.

His leadership and hard work stood out to his colleagues, and in July 2023, he was elected into the Emerging Leadership Council at NewYork-Presbyterian. As an immigrant and member of the LGBTQ+ community, he is proud to be a champion of inclusion in the workplace.

“If not for Upwardly Global and the amazing people working there and the programs that they designed, I wouldn’t be where I am now,” he says.

Want to find meaningful work with Upwardly Global and help immigrants and refugees restart their careers in the U.S.? Find all of our current job openings here.

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Krause-Vilmar was joined by:

• • Ramona Schindelheim of WorkingNation
  • Katie Brown of EnGen
  • Arturo Cazares of Latino Business Action Network

The Data is Clear

The panel highlighted statistics that make a clear case for immigrants’ significant impact on the United States:

• • Immigrants represent 14% of the population but make up 20% of workers.
  • They contribute nearly $1.7 trillion to the economy and over $579 billion in taxes.
  • 83% of growth in the working-age population today comes from immigrants and their children.

They also emphasized the demographic reality driving immigration’s importance today:

• • The U.S. has an aging population, with an average of 10,000 baby boomers retiring every day. 
  • Without immigration, the population will be one-third of its current size by the year 2100.
  • The U.S. has experienced 43 consecutive months of labor shortages with 4% unemployment.
  • By 2035, 100% of U.S. population growth will come from immigrants and their children.

Beyond Numbers: The Systemic Challenges We Need To Address

“The reality is that there are some jobs and occupations that you need to be credentialed in or are highly regulated by the government — for example, doctors, nurses,” Krause-Vilmar explained. “But then there are jobs and occupations that are not, like in IT/technology, business, logistics, and operations.”

The panel identified several key challenges immigrants face in accessing quality employment:

• Career Navigation Barriers: 

Many workforce and community college systems are set up to help newcomers obtain their first entry-level job, but these organizations are not necessarily equipped to help immigrants answer the questions: What jobs do I qualify for? Am I competitive? Do I need to relicense? Do I need to re-credential? And if so, how?

• Employer Recognition:

Many U.S. employers don’t understand the value of this talent and the advantages of the resilience and the diversity of thought, experiences, and perspectives newcomers bring to the workplace. Some companies do not have the ability to adequately recognize internationally acquired credentials and understand unfamiliar job titles with no direct U.S. equivalent.

• Cultural Difference in Self-Promotion:

Krause-Vilmar shares, “”There is a certain way to show up to be marketable in the United States and it is very specific. And if you come from a culture that is much more community-oriented, not ‘I, me, I, me,’ you are not going to be able to market yourself.”

“We … need to stop putting artificial barriers for people. We need to make resources available to people so they can figure out what job they can do with the skills that they have. We don’t have to make them wait a generation,” says Katie Brown.

Immigration Drives Innovation and Business Growth

The panel showcased research demonstrating immigrants’ outsized contributions to business creation and innovation.

“In our recent research — and we surveyed thousands and thousands of business owners across the U.S. over several years — in the more recent years, the number of Latino-owned companies in this country grew by 44%,” shared Arturo Cazares. “At the same time, the number of white-owned companies in the country decreased by 3%.”

He continues, “Latino businesses are growing faster than the average across the board. They’re producing jobs at twice the rate, and those jobs offer better benefits across the board on average.”

Krause-Vilmar also highlighted that 50% of Fortune 500 companies were founded or cofounded by an immigrant, and 23% of patents come from immigrants who represent only 14% of the population, which she attributes to the level of comfort with risk that many immigrants — particularly displaced persons — possess.

Artificial Intelligence and Skills for the Future of Work

Krause-Vilmar made a powerful connection between immigrant talent and the evolving workplace transformation formed by AI:

“If AI is changing how we view skills, and we are no longer looking at a world of work where you have a specific skill and you do a specific task, you get a reliable outcome. What we’re looking at now is how do we invest in people if AI is taking over… Now we’re looking at how we’re cultivating skills around curiosity, creativity, resilience, adaptability. And these are things immigrants and refugees bring in spades.”

Moving Forward Together

Krause-Vilmar emphasized the importance of cultivating an ecosystem to protect the nonprofit community and the communities they serve: “Let’s not reinvent the wheel. Let’s create economies of scale. You do what you do best. We’ll do what we do best, and we’ll join powers.”

She also called for systems-level solutions: “I would encourage us to think of systems-change solutions. I would encourage us to think creatively with the spaces that we have by investing more deeply in partnerships. … We need organizations that actually work directly with communities so that they have the proximity, insight, and trust of those communities — that they can actually represent through human-centered design, solutions that will actually work.”

Listen to the full session on SXSW EDU.

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About Upwardly Global

Upwardly Global is the premier organization helping work-authorized immigrants, refugees, and asylees with international credentials navigate systemic barriers to restart their careers in the United States. Learn more about our work at upwardlyglobal.org.

The post Making the Economic Case for Workforce Access for Immigrants: Upwardly Global CEO Speaks at SXSW EDU appeared first on Upwardly Global.

Nearly 500 immigrants and refugees have rebuilt their careers in the United States thanks to Tamar’s guidance. As a Senior Employment Services Lead at Upwardly Global, she has spent over a decade empowering internationally trained professionals to navigate the U.S. job market — particularly in the highly regulated healthcare field.

But her influence extends beyond these individuals — Tamar has played a key role in shaping the organization’s approach to professional coaching, ensuring job seekers receive tailored, industry-specific support. As a colleague once said, “Tamar is Upwardly Global.”

Starting at Upwardly Global

Before joining Upwardly Global, Tamar spent nearly eight years as a career counselor at higher education institutions in Chicago. By 2013, she knew her previous role was not a good fit — it was time for a change.

“I walked out of [my previous role] thinking, ‘I want to find a job where I can help good people get good jobs,’” she remembers.

Soon after, she came across a job listing — Employment Services Advisor (ESA) at Upwardly Global, a nonprofit organization that helps professional immigrants and refugees rebuild their careers in the United States.

“It was a six-week temp job to cover someone who was going on their sabbatical,” Tamar recalls. “I was just intrigued and delighted.”

At the time, there was only one ESA in the Chicago region, and they needed another. Tamar quickly proved to be a perfect fit for the role, and she has now been with Upwardly Global for nearly 12 years.

“I just feel so lucky that six weeks has turned into much longer,” she says. “And as we’ve grown and changed, our mission, I really believe, has stayed so front and center. It’s been so exciting to work with great people, but also to meet such amazing job seekers along the journey.”

Building expertise in healthcare

Early at Upwardly Global, Tamar discovered a deep interest in helping internationally trained healthcare professionals  — a field known for its complex regulations and unique challenges. 

For international medical graduates (IMGs), the path to practicing in the U.S. involves navigating an intricate web of licensing requirements, credential evaluations, and examinations. More often than not, it costs thousands of dollars and requires multiple years of dedication.

“From the beginning, I loved working with healthcare professionals, and healthcare is crazy regulated — for all the reasons, we know — in the U.S.,” she says. “It piqued my interest, and having both a background as a professional counselor and in public policy, it’s the perfect mix.”

By 2020, when Upwardly Global grew large enough to organize its coaches by industry, known as “Communities of Practice” (CoPs), Tamar was a natural choice to lead the healthcare CoP. She had already spent years training other coaches focused on the healthcare field.

Her expertise didn’t stop with one-on-one coaching. Since 2022, she has worked with policymakers in Illinois to shape and implement alternative licensing processes for IMGs, ensuring more qualified professionals can enter the U.S. healthcare system.

“I haven’t wanted to venture into roles that wouldn’t allow me to have one–on–one contact with job seekers. I mean, that informs my work and all of what I do,” Tamar says. “But I feel very lucky that I’ve been able to find leadership, program, partnership work along the way.”

Job seekers’ stories lead the way

While Tamar’s impact is broad, her work is always grounded in the individual stories of the job seekers she supports. Their experiences continually shape and refine her coaching approach.

“I remember, early on, I worked with this Iraqi doctor who had applied for residency a bunch of times, and I think he had depression, and it was just really hard,” she says. When they practiced for interviews, his answers were flat and uninspired.

“I told him, ‘If you don’t bring positivity, if you don’t connect in your interview, you won’t match. If you don’t believe you can do it, you certainly won’t,’” she says. “So, that was one of the very strong moments when I realized the power of things like interview practice.”

Her insights led her to develop a structured program that connects aspiring medical professionals with volunteers for extensive interview practice — helping to bridge the cultural gap and increase their chances of success.

A legacy of impact

For Tamar, the work is personal. Each job seeker she meets is more than their work history  — they are real people with real dreams. This belief fuels her commitment to helping immigrants and refugees reclaim their professional identities.

“First and foremost, what we bring to people is just a sense that they’re not alone,” says Tamar. “I can’t make it easier, but I can be here with you during the journey.”

Her legacy at Upwardly Global extends beyond her nearly 500 job placements or the programs she’s built. It lives on in the lives of the job seekers who have reentered the healthcare profession and now serve their communities, as well as the policies that open doors for internationally trained talent.

As Upwardly Global continues to grow, Tamar remains a guiding force — ensuring that every job seeker’s story is heard and their potential is never overlooked.

Her vision for the future includes expanding structured mentorship opportunities, advocating for fair and inclusive hiring practices, and continuing to break down barriers for internationally trained professionals — because every story matters, and everyone deserves a chance to thrive.

Find out more about Upwardly Global’s career resources for immigrants and refugees here.

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Refugee Ban 

On January 27, all U.S. refugee admissions were suspended, including individuals who were fully vetted and scheduled to travel. This policy has left thousands of refugees from Afghanistan, Ukraine, Central Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa stranded and vulnerable. Although a federal judge temporarily blocked the ban on February 25, the emotional and financial toll on affected communities remains severe. Given the administration’s stance, there is a real concern that this ban may be reinstated.

Termination of Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans and Haitians

The Trump administration has aggressively scaled back the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program.

• Venezuelan TPS: On February 5, 2025, the White House announced that TPS would end for over 300,000 Venezuelans, with removals scheduled to begin in April. An additional 250,000 Venezuelans, whose TPS protections are set to expire in September, are also at risk.
• Haitian TPS: On February 20, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reduced Haiti’s TPS designation from 18 months to 12 months, ending on August 3, 2025. This abrupt change means thousands of Haitians will lose their work permits and may face deportation. These measures align with the administration’s broader goal of fulfilling campaign promises of mass deportations and reducing humanitarian protections for immigrants.

Federal Funding Freeze

A broad freeze on federal funding has severely impacted nonprofit organizations, particularly those supporting refugee resettlement and immigrant services. This funding halt has created widespread operational disruptions and left many essential programs — including childcare, food assistance, housing support, energy bill assistance, and healthcare services — underfunded or shuttered. Despite legal challenges, ongoing uncertainty continues to undermine organizations’ ability to provide critical services to vulnerable communities.

Defunding of DEI Initiatives

The administration’s elimination of federal funding for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs has had an immediate and far-reaching impact. Federal agencies and nonprofits focused on workplace inclusion have been forced to scale back or shut down DEI efforts entirely. Large corporations seeking to maintain government contracts have begun pulling back on DEI initiatives to avoid potential legal repercussions or administrative scrutiny. This rollback threatens years of progress in creating more inclusive and equitable work environments.

Upwardly Global’s Commitment to Immigrant and Refugee Communities

Despite these challenging times, Upwardly Global remains steadfast in our mission to support immigrant, refugee, and asylee professionals.

• We are fully operational and remain committed to working closely with our partners to serve our community.
• We are deeply concerned about the far-reaching consequences these policies have on people’s ability to find employment, access vital services, and build stable lives in the U.S.

Help Us Stand With Immigrants, Refugees, and Asylees

Now more than ever, we need collective action to support those most vulnerable. Here’s how you can help:

• Donate to refugee resettlement agencies and organizations like Upwardly Global that provide career support and resources for immigrants.
• Advocate by raising awareness and speaking out against harmful policies that threaten immigrant rights and livelihoods.
• Stay informed and engage with policymakers to push for inclusive and just immigration policies.
• Volunteer to share your knowledge and expertise with immigrant and refugee professionals navigating the U.S. job market.

The fight for an inclusive America is far from over. Together, we can stand up for the rights and dignity of immigrants, refugees, and asylees, ensuring they can build brighter futures in this country and contribute to our communities.

The post The First 30 Days: The Impact of Executive Orders on Immigrant, Refugee, and Asylee Communities appeared first on Upwardly Global.

When Johan joined his wife in the U.S. in the spring of 2019, he found himself in a bind. He was overqualified for most jobs but unable to secure work in his profession. Despite having a medical degree from the Dominican Republic, he initially worked at a fast-food restaurant.

“For me, it was like a stepping stone for something better. It helped me be more humble and know people from other backgrounds. It even helped me with my English skills,” he remembers. “If you’re doing dishes, you have to do it like you’re the best dishwasher in the world.”

He later moved into a caregiving position, which allowed him to reconnect with the healthcare field, although in a different capacity. Still, Johan knew he was destined for more, but he needed a path back to his true calling — neurology.

After earning his doctorate in 2014, he witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of neurological diseases like Guillain-Barré syndrome during the Zika virus outbreak in the Dominican Republic. Johan always knew that he wanted to be part of the solution.

Career guidance through Upwardly Global

It was in the summer that Johan found the resource that would change his trajectory: Upwardly Global. Through their programs, he was introduced to Tamar, a career coach who provided unwavering support and guidance.

“Tamar was so cheerful and resourceful. She invested her time in me, always willing to check in and help whenever I needed it,” he says. Their first meeting was a turning point. “I told her my goals, that I wanted to get a job in the medical field. For me, this was a big opportunity, and I took it seriously.”

Johan immersed himself in Upwardly Global’s training resources, watching videos and practicing interview techniques with volunteers.

A breakthrough job in the medical field

With Tamar’s guidance, he applied for a medical assistant position at a neurology clinic near his home in central Illinois and landed the job. For Johan, this was the bridge he needed to get back into medicine.

“The clinic staff was amazing, and the neurologists were so eager for me to apply to be in neurology,” he recalls. “One of them gave me a letter of recommendation that I could use for my residency application, which is amazing.”

It was perfect timing — he landed the recommendation just weeks before the residency application deadline in the fall of 2022.

Matching with his first choice

Johan’s hard work, persistence, and Upwardly Global’s support culminated in a moment he could hardly believe — he matched with his top-choice residency program at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center with the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Peoria.

This crucial step will allow him to continue specialized training in neurology, and once his residency is complete, he will earn full, independent licensure as a physician in the U.S. For Johan, this means becoming a doctor once again.

“When I saw the email, I had to read it five or six times. I kept asking myself, ‘Is this real?’ I was overwhelmed with joy,” says Johan. “This was my first choice, and I couldn’t believe I had actually matched there. I loved the mentorship, the clinical exposure, and the diversity of cases. This was exactly what I had been looking for.”

Using his skills to give back

For international healthcare professionals living in the U.S., it often takes multiple years, thousands of dollars, and incredible persistence to earn medical licensure a second time.

“I know firsthand what people from other countries go through,” he says. “I really believe that what you guys [at Upwardly Global] do has a purpose, and it yields results. I’m one of them.”

Now, Johan is nearly two years into his residency program and is set to graduate in 2027. He is also driven to give back to the immigrant community and plans to volunteer at Upwardly Global to guide other job seekers like himself.

“I’m really thankful and grateful for Upwardly Global and the work that you guys do,” says Johan. “It definitely pays off.”

Find out more about Upwardly Global’s career resources for immigrants and refugees here.

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At Upwardly Global, we remain dedicated to our mission as a workforce inclusion leader focused on driving economic prosperity by integrating talented, work-authorized immigrant and refugee professionals into the U.S. workforce.

Why is workforce inclusion more important than ever?

Industries nationwide face critical labor shortages, skills gaps, and hiring challenges. At the same time, more than two million work-authorized immigrants and refugees in the U.S. remain unemployed or underemployed, despite having the experience and qualifications needed to contribute to key industries.

This untapped talent represents a significant opportunity for businesses that want to strengthen their workforce, drive innovation, and remain competitive. By continuing to create inclusive pathways for skilled professionals, we can fill labor shortages, strengthen industries, and grow our economy.

For our employer partners, investing in a more inclusive workforce is not just the right thing to do — it is a business decision that leads to more resilient companies with a talent pool that fosters fresh perspectives, stronger problem-solving, and increased adaptability.

When skilled professionals work jobs aligned with their training and credentials, they earn more, increase consumer spending, and contribute to their communities, benefiting local and national economies.

At Upwardly Global, we focus on real-world solutions that connect businesses with the talent they need because an inclusive workforce is a stronger, more resilient one.

How Upwardly Global is leading the way

To ensure that our employer partners and workforce collaborators have the tools they need to build high-performing teams, Upwardly Global has expanded its impact in these key areas:

1. We strengthened partnerships with major companies to integrate skills-based hiring practices and remove unnecessary barriers to employment for qualified immigrant professionals.
2. We expanded partnerships with organizations like Hispanic Federation and Miami Dade Community College. Through these strategic partnerships, we can reach more global talent and industries in need of talent solutions.
3. We championed legislation that supports immigrant professionals as they reenter the workforce.

Building a more inclusive workforce

We invite you, our employer partners, workforce collaborators, and community, to join us in building an inclusive workforce that benefits businesses, communities, and the economy as a whole.

How can you partner with us?

If you’re an employer:

Let’s plug you into our hiring solutions that connect you with skilled immigrant talent and strengthen your workforce. Learn more about our Employer Engagement program and our Upwardly Global Talent platform.

If you’re a policymaker or workforce leader:

Partner with us to advocate for inclusive hiring practices that drive economic growth. Build your workforce capacity by partnering with us and learn more about our policy and advocacy work.

If you’re part of the Upwardly Global community:

Share our mission, amplify the impact of workforce inclusion, and help us create opportunities for newcomers ready to contribute to our nation’s success. Consider volunteering or joining our National Leadership Council.

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About Upwardly Global

Upwardly Global’s mission is to dismantle employment barriers for low-income immigrant, refugee, and asylee professionals and to advance their inclusion into the U.S. economy. Since 2000, Upwardly Global has empowered unemployed or underemployed newcomers with the skills, career coaching, and social capital needed to rebuild their lives and careers. Learn more at UpwardlyGlobal.org.

The post The Future of Workforce Inclusion: A Practical Approach to Economic Growth appeared first on Upwardly Global.

Growing up in a military family in Argentina, Santiago was no stranger to changing scenery — but moving his young family to the U.S. in early 2023 was different. It wasn’t just a new job or city; it was an entirely new beginning.

“I think one of the hardest decisions you can make is going to live abroad,” Santiago says. “You put all your skills, background, values, education — all that you have — on the table.”

As a seasoned professional from Argentina, Santiago earned a bachelor’s in international relations and a master’s in international politics and economics. For over eight years, he worked as an international analyst at the Argentine Ministry of Defense.

Navigating challenges and seeking support

When he and his wife, an American citizen, moved to upstate New York in search of new opportunities with their two young children, Santiago became a full-time caretaker while his wife supported the family financially. But he was determined to restart his career.

“Altogether, it was tough to handle,” he says, reflecting on how the stressful year as a stay-at-home dad helped him grow professionally and personally. For months, he struggled to reenter his career while juggling his new familial responsibilities.

“At a certain point, I said, ‘Okay, I need help with my resume. I need help with my elevator pitch. I need training to have more chances,’” Santiago recalls.

That’s when he discovered Upwardly Global through an online search. By June of 2023, Santiago was paired with his job coach, Molly, who became a guiding light as he navigated a new professional journey.

Perseverance and breaking through with Upwardly Global

“From the very beginning, she was so supportive and understanding. She provided everything she could to help me build confidence,” Santiago says. She encouraged him to ask key questions: What’s your added value? What are your unique skills? What can you offer to be a good worker?

Despite Molly’s support, the job search wasn’t easy. A few months into his move, Santiago had to take a part-time job as a UPS package handler, starting as early as 3:30 a.m. to help make ends meet.

“It’s not stepping back, it’s stepping forward,” he says, reflecting on the experience. “In the end, it’s not just a profession or a salary — it’s about being human and learning.”

It took Santiago eight months to land a role that matched his expertise, all while caring for his now 2- and 5-year-old.

“I didn’t have any connections here. I was not familiar with the way to apply for jobs. The mindset is completely different, so it was a big adjustment,” he says. “In that path, I found a lot of support and help and good advice from the Upwardly Global team.”

By December 2023, Santiago landed a job as an Associate Intelligence Manager at a company based in Washington, D.C., that works closely with Latin America.

A journey of community and transformation

“I’m very lucky — my daily work allows me to stay connected to my roots, speaking both Spanish and English, balancing between two cultures,” he says. “Serving a multilateral organization that brings development projects to Latin America is very rewarding and purpose-driven.”

Santiago says his journey brought him a new sense of belonging and solidarity in this multicultural country. Attending multiple networking events through Upwardly Global, he found connections and support that helped him embrace this new chapter.

“I don’t think any of us can achieve this kind of thing alone — you need the emotional, material, and daily support of people that you love,” he says, crediting his family and the new friends and colleagues who supported his success. “And the people are the backbone of [Upwardly Global’s] program.”

For Santiago, his journey wasn’t about leaving everything behind but seeing his skills from a new perspective.

“It’s not like leaving what you have and starting from scratch; it’s more like recycling. Trying to see it from a different angle,” he says. “This last year’s journey was key, feeling part of a community facing the same challenges and experiencing that solidarity.”

Find out more about Upwardly Global’s career resources for immigrants and refugees here.

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Back in Afghanistan, Marjila wasn’t just a journalist — she was a collector of dreams. She spent four years volunteering with homeless, orphaned children in Kabul. While helping them with necessities like food, clothes, and schooling, she began to ask, “What do you dream of?”

“Most kids, they had big dreams,” she says. “They dreamed to come to the United States, to study, to become footballers, to become artists.”

And while she couldn’t transform the kids into famous football players, she wanted to help the smaller ones come true. With nearly 400 dreams in hand, she compiled all the required documents to start her own non-governmental organization, “Smile for Afghan Kids.”

When everything fell apart

On the day Marjila planned to submit the paperwork, Kabul fell to the Taliban, and with it, her hopes for the NGO. Everything she’d worked for felt like it was crumbling. She spent four months in hiding.

“During those four months, I just visited the orphans one time — I was scared,” she says.

As a journalism trainer with Supporting Open Media in Afghanistan (SOMA), Marjila became a target for the Taliban. When the chance to escape came, she made the painful decision to leave her home behind.

“It was not an easy decision for me. I was not scared of the Taliban, but in the end, they would kill me, and they would make problems for my family and my friends,” Marjila says. “I left all my family, friends, my kids — I call them my kids.”

A new beginning in America

With a degree in journalism and communications from Kabul University, Marjila spent five years working as a social worker and journalist in Afghanistan. But by the time she resettled in Washington, D.C. in February of 2022, her own dreams, let alone the orphans’, felt deeply out of reach. 

“It wasn’t easy at all coming to the United States,” she remembers. “In my mind, it’s a land of opportunities, but when you first come here, you have a lot of pressure. You’re lost, you’re nowhere, and you don’t have any family members here to guide you, to show you the way.”

While being held at a U.S. military base, she volunteered to conduct cultural orientations for other Afghan women and their families. There, friends she volunteered with introduced her to Upwardly Global. She applied as soon as she could.

“I was alone at home, and I had no job, nothing,” she says, remembering that cold winter. Ultimately, Marjila began working part-time as a cashier at Ross Dress For Less to make ends meet.

Finding hope through Upwardly Global

By spring, she matched with an Upwardly Global job coach, Shoaib, who was also from Afghanistan. He inspired her to begin reaching for her dreams once again.

“Upwardly Global provided me with a job course, helped me update my resume, and I found a mentor,” she says. “I was working closely with [my Upwardly Global job coach] to find a good job.”

Shoaib helped her land an internship at Lutheran Social Services, which provided resettlement services to other incoming refugees. Soon after, her people skills landed her multiple promotions — from Employment Coordinator to Case Manager, and most recently, to Resettlement Program Manager.

“Coming from your hometown to a new country, new area, new people — I’m sure that any refugee with any level of experience, even without any language barrier, would have their difficulties getting a job,” says Marjila. “You may get stressed, you may feel alone, but don’t lose hope.”

Rebuilding dreams

Her own journey inspired her to support other refugees, just as Upwardly Global supported her.

“Upwardly Global was the best thing that could’ve happened to me,” she says. “With it, I knew my pathway clearly. Without it, I was lost — I didn’t know where I should start. So, it helped a lot.”

Now, with a renewed sense of purpose and stability, Marjila keeps the dreams of Kabul’s children alive in her heart, even from thousands of miles away. And in her new career, she helps others build new dreams, just as she rebuilds her own.

Find out more about Upwardly Global’s career resources for immigrants and refugees here.

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“I had a job that most people dream of,” Amal reflects, having spent over two decades building a life and career in Egypt. “I was proud of what I achieved.”

Amal earned a degree in accounting and finance, then spent over a decade working for Egypt’s Ministry of Telecommunications, even collaborating on a project with the First Lady of Egypt.

“My family would joke, ‘We know someone important,’” she says. Her career had brought her a sense of pride and purpose, something few women in her family, or her country, could relate to.

Fleeing to the U.S. with only $400 in her pocket

But in 2019, everything changed. As Egypt’s regime shifted, Amal was targeted for her government role, accused of not being loyal to the new leadership. Despite her father’s service as a veteran, Amal became a “threat” in her own country and was forced to leave behind her career, family, and the life she had worked so hard to build.

“Look at me,” Amal laughs. “Do I look like a threat?” Yet, there she was, seeking asylum in the U.S. with nothing more than $400 to her name and the determination to survive.

Survival, however, was no small task. Amal took any job she could find — from working at a tourism company to being a home care aid for seniors — while applying for hundreds of positions that matched her skills. Each rejection chipped away at her confidence.

“At best, I would get an interview. At worst, I would hear nothing,” she remembers. “I heard a lot of nothing.”

A chance meeting with Upwardly Global

Three months passed before Amal discovered Upwardly Global, a nonprofit that supports immigrants in reclaiming their careers in the U.S. It was a chance connection, but it became a turning point in her journey. Through the guidance of her career coach Esmerelda, Amal learned to navigate the complexities of the U.S. job market.                              

“Esmerelda helped me condense my four-page resume to one, showed me how to use AI to search for jobs, and most importantly, helped me believe I could reclaim my career here,” Amal says. “Upwardly Global saw me. They took my hand and gave me hope when I had none.”

Reclaiming her career with the New York State Department of Labor

Upwardly Global’s support and coaching paved the way for Amal to secure a role as an Auditor at the New York State Department of Labor and marked a new chapter in her life. It’s a reminder that even in the most challenging circumstances, the right support can make all the difference.

Today, Amal has embraced the U.S. as her home, and with her professional career back on track, she can see a future full of possibilities.

As she proudly says now, “I am still here.”

Find out more about Upwardly Global’s career resources for immigrants and refugees here.

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Man Yu lives and breathes buildings. After spending 40 years in Hong Kong, a bustling city renowned for its towering skyscrapers, it felt only natural for him to make a career out of maintaining them.

After earning his bachelor’s degree in facilities management, Man spent 12 years as a Building Surveyor for Hong Kong schools. In the role, he was responsible for conducting building inspections, ensuring compliance with safety regulations, and overseeing maintenance and renovation projects.

By 2016, he held a senior leadership position at a private international school nestled in the foggy hills of Lantau Island — Hong Kong’s largest island.

Moving to the U.S.

However, in January 2016, Man’s decade-long career in Hong Kong came to an abrupt halt. He, his wife, and two children upended their life in Hong Kong to reunite with family in Northern California.

“My family decided to move to the United States because my in-laws resided in California for over 20 years, and they really looked forward to having us move here,” he says. “I had never been to the United States before I moved — I had no idea about the culture, how easy it would be to get a job.”

On arrival, Man’s brother-in-law recommended Upwardly Global, an organization dedicated to helping immigrants and refugees find professional jobs in the U.S. He applied immediately, hoping it would help him navigate the unfamiliar job market.

Getting help from Upwardly Global

Over two million immigrants with college degrees are either unemployed or working in low-wage jobs that do not fully utilize their talents. Many face challenges in translating their qualifications to match the U.S. context, encountering barriers like hiring managers and recruiters being unfamiliar with their home country’s job titles and credentialing systems.

“In the United States, with a totally different system, they have different names for my profession. I was called a ‘facility manager’ back in Hong Kong, but here, we call it ‘building surveyor,’” says Man. “The qualification I got may not be recognized, so that part I worried a bit.”

Once enrolled in Upwardly Global’s Career Coaching Program, Man learned exactly how to translate his career into the U.S. context. His career coach guided him through every step of the job search process, covering U.S.-style resumes, cover letters, and interview skills. The small changes added up.

“At first, I applied for a lot of jobs with three or four-page resumes and I didn’t hear anything back,” Man remembers. “And once I made over my resume, I sent out probably 15 resumes, I got three interviews, and I got offered two jobs.”

Making connections with U.S. employers

During a mock interview workshop hosted by Upwardly Global, Man met a senior manager from Prometheus Real Estate Group, the largest private owner of multifamily properties in the San Francisco Bay Area. The connection soon spurred a job offer.

“We truly value our relationship with Upwardly Global,” says the Prometheus team. “Man has become such an integral part of Prometheus, and that would not have happened without our partnership.”

For the last eight years, Man has expanded his career at Prometheus. He currently serves as the Office Services Manager, leading a team that oversees all operations, maintenance, repairs, and events at their corporate headquarters. Man’s role is essential to Prometheus as it creates constant positive energy to employees and makes everyone feel at home.

“I worked my butt off, and we got our first house a few years ago,” says Man, whose children have also settled into life in California over the years. “For them, for me, for my wife — the whole family — there is really a big difference now. We really appreciate the opportunities in the United States.”

After just a few years at Prometheus, Man earned the award of “Home Office Promethean of the Year” in 2023 for his huge impact across the organization. In addition to his career success, he gives back to his community by volunteering at networking and mock interview events with Upwardly Global.

“I don’t know where I would be without joining Upwardly Global,” he reflects. “When you move to a new environment, dive into the local culture. Being connected is so important — that’s how your career can build.”

Learn more about volunteering with Upwardly Global here.

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In Melissa’s first year in the United States, she applied to over 3,000 jobs. A stream of rejection emails followed, if she even heard back at all.

Prior to immigrating in 2019, 39-year-old Melissa had spent over a decade as an HR Manager in one of the largest hospital systems in Ghana. With extensive experience and a master’s in public administration, she had envisioned an even brighter future for herself after moving to New York City.

Applying to jobs in the U.S.

“One of my biggest concerns when I came to the U.S. was to quickly land a job,” Melissa says. “I didn’t really know much about the U.S. workforce. I just thought of it as any other workforce in any other country.”

At the time, U.S. employers completely overlooked her resume, which was three pages long and formatted in the Ghanaian style. Her degrees and experience seemed to count for nothing.

“I was doubting myself. ‘Are my skill sets enough in this country?’” she recalls. “Not getting any positive feedback was largely demoralizing — my confidence level dwindled. I got frustrated, packed my bags, and was close to leaving the United States when a friend of mine talked to me about Upwardly Global.”

Connecting with Upwardly Global

For over two decades, Upwardly Global has directly supported nearly 11,000 immigrants, refugees, and asylees in regaining their footing in the U.S. workforce. They provide guidance on U.S.-style resumes, cover letters, interview skills, and career navigation for newcomers unfamiliar with the U.S. system.

Once Melissa connected with the organization in 2021, the pieces quickly fell into place.

“I was immediately introduced to a job coach who took me through a couple of trainings, like U.S. resume writing, interviewing skills, [and] job search,” says Melissa. “Upwardly Global helped in interpreting my decades of experience in HR to the American context.”

Paying it forward at NewYork-Presbyterian

By the following year, Melissa landed a temp position as a Patient Navigator at NewYork-Presbyterian, one of the largest hospital systems in New York City. 

Their returnship program, crafted hand-in-hand with Upwardly Global, recruits and onboards newcomers into temporary roles that serve as an on-ramp into the professional world.

“Now, I feel seen in the American job market,” says Melissa. Since joining NewYork-Presbyterian, she has risen to full-time Talent Acquisition Specialist.

With an employer that understands the value of immigrants — their resilience and depth of experience — Melissa’s work in HR now primarily focuses on recruiting and hiring other immigrants facing similar challenges.

“I just want other immigrants to know that, with time, it gets better,” says Melissa. “Now that I’ve landed my dream job, I’m helping other Upwardly Global job seekers relaunch their careers and see what they can be.”

Learn more about Upwardly Global’s returnship program with NewYork-Presbyterian.

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Want to find meaningful work with Upwardly Global and help immigrants and refugees restart their careers in the U.S.? Find all of our current job openings here.

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In 2022, Mandy arrived in the U.S. with very few career expectations, but kept hearing one thing repeatedly: She would have to start at the bottom.

This reality not only disheartened her, but it also wouldn’t pay the bills. When she and her 6-year-old daughter relocated from the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago to be with her husband in New York City, Mandy knew her family would require much more from her.

“When I got married and decided to fully transition and move, I was so scared in terms of finding a job because everybody was telling me you’ve got to start from the bottom and come back up,” she remembers. “I was finding it really hard to accomplish so much — work for over 15 years — and know my worth, and then come to the ‘land of opportunities,’ as they would say, and start back at the bottom.”

In Trinidad, Mandy had earned an associate’s and bachelor’s degree in health and safety. She then spent over 15 years as a Health and Safety Specialist in the oil and gas sector, often traveling between Trinidad and the U.S. for work. During that time, Mandy met her now husband in the U.S., and she gave birth to their daughter in 2018.

Facing roadblocks to jumpstarting her career in the U.S.

During her first year in the U.S., Mandy grappled with feeling like she made the wrong decision to uproot her life and career. Although her family was finally living under one roof, her job search took a major toll.

“I wasn’t sleeping — just running on fumes. I was really stressed physically, mentally, everything,” she says. “For some jobs, I did three or four interviews, thinking, ‘Okay, you’re coming close today,’ and then being ghosted. I wouldn’t hear anything. That was really a stressful period.”

After applying for over 50 jobs, Mandy “stumbled” upon Upwardly Global through an online search in 2023. Immediately after matching with her career coach and professional mentor, her story changed completely.

An opportunity to restart her career at her skill level

“When I found Upwardly Global during my search, I was like, ‘Oh, I don’t necessarily have to start at the bottom,” she says. “[My mentor] broke down what kinds of salaries to look for, what kinds of companies to look for. I felt like I had a roadmap.”

With resume, cover letter, and interview training as well as personalized mentorship, Mandy learned how to broadcast her expertise in the U.S. style. However, as she progressed in her job search, her main worry shifted to finding affordable and accessible childcare for her young daughter.

“This was my big fear,” she says. “There was a job I wanted to take, but it didn’t fit with my schedule or my daughter’s schedule. With childcare and everything, I needed to make sure I picked the right job.”

Finding the perfect job with Upwardly Global

Soon afterwards, in July of 2023, she found the perfect opportunity — a role as an Environmental Health Safety Specialist at NewYork-Presbyterian. 

“I am so grateful to have landed a job in my field — a great salary, great perks,” she says. “They’re family-oriented — they don’t make you work late. I mean, I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

Nearly a year later, Mandy is now a star employee. She’s currently in talks about a promotion that would elevate her to the exact same level she achieved in Trinidad and Tobago.

“So far, it’s been a pretty good balance with my daughter’s childcare and with my job,” she says. While she hopes to continue advancing her career, her story is looking up. “Honestly, I’m sleeping better now. I’m so grateful to be in the place I am now.”

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Want to find meaningful work with Upwardly Global and help immigrants and refugees restart their careers in the U.S.? Find all of our current job openings here.

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Anh had to take some time off of work. In 2017, she relocated from Vietnam to Dallas, Texas, and in the following years, she welcomed her two daughters into the world. Upon arrival, she found herself immersed in the role of a stay-at-home mom, while her husband, whose job prompted the move to the U.S., took care of the bills.

“When I came here, I started a new life with a lot of challenges,” Anh says. “With a Vietnamese education, not in the U.S., I got [into] some trouble when I applied for jobs.”

Looking for a family-supporting job on her own

Following a recent separation from her husband, 33-year-old Anh now largely shoulders the responsibility for her young daughters, aged 3 and 5. Finding employment and securing affordable childcare quickly became her top priorities, despite her five-year hiatus from the workforce. 

In Hanoi, Vietnam, Anh had worked for over three years in research and development for a company that produced solar panels. Her parents, who were farmers and factory workers, provided her with a solid foundation, enabling her to pursue a bachelor’s in physics and electrical engineering.

However, in the U.S., Anh found that her previous degrees and experience would count for nothing without the right support. Upwardly Global’s Career Coaching Program was popular within her Vietnamese community Facebook groups, and she knew that their structured support system could lift her back into her career.

With the assistance of her job coach, Kara, she honed her English skills, received guidance on resume and cover letter building, and was presented with ample job openings.

“I sent my paperwork and quickly got a response from Upwardly Global,” she says. “I feel I was lucky to get help from Upwardly Global. My job coach helped me to apply for specific jobs, and they helped me improve my professional skills — technical and soft skills.”

“[My job coach] helped me prepare my resume and cover letter, and after that, she encouraged me to apply for jobs. She sent me the exact links and told me to apply for [them] because the requirements fit,” says Anh. “She encouraged me, saying, ‘No worries, just apply. Don’t limit yourself. Don’t be shy.’”

Juggling her new thriving-wage job with childcare

By April of 2023, Anh successfully landed a job as an Accountant with a business consultancy based in Florida, working remotely. She had previously taken on a data entry job at a tax office in Dallas, which only paid $11 per hour. This new role provides her $55,000 with benefits.

However, the juggling act between work and parenting poses its own challenges, as this full-time job also required full-time childcare for her two children.

“I really have to manage my time and talk to my manager about my kids’ schedules,” Anh says. Although her 5-year-old started public school last fall, her youngest is still in daycare, which cuts $1,000 from her paycheck each month.

“Upwardly Global introduced me to a bigger community, helped me land a better job with a high salary, and [now,] I have more time to play with my kids,” Anh says. She hopes to one day reskill as a data analyst and earn an even higher salary for her daughters.

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Want to find meaningful work with Upwardly Global and help immigrants and refugees restart their careers in the U.S.? Find all of our current job openings here.

The post “Now, I have more time to play with my kids.” appeared first on Upwardly Global.

By the mid-2010s, Lyubava sensed that it was time to leave Ukraine. With tensions escalating between Russia and her home country, she saw the potential of living and working internationally — both for her safety and the broadening of her professional horizons. 

After earning her master’s degree in Germanic languages and international communications, Lyubava worked for nearly a decade as an Executive Assistant and later as Chief of Staff at various tech companies around the world. However, when the pandemic struck in 2020, she had no choice but to reassess her living situation.

“There was a lot of uncertainty [in Ukraine], and I didn’t feel like my future was safe and secure there, so I decided to move to New York,” Lyubava explains of her move to U.S. soil. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, over 300,000 other Ukrainians have followed suit, and more than 70% of these adult refugees have been women.

Starting over as an overqualified Ukrainian immigrant

On arrival, Lyubava — like two million other immigrants, refugees, and asylees — faced challenges finding a job aligned with her qualifications. She applied to over 100 positions, securing only 10 callbacks for interviews. The interviews, though polite, often turned superficial due to her lack of direct U.S. work experience.

“I felt really angry. I put in a lot of effort,” she remembers. “My self-confidence and my self-esteem, it definitely got damaged for a while.”

 As financial strain mounted, Lyubava drained her savings to cover legal expenses and make ends meet — a harsh reality faced by many immigrants in pursuit of employment. In fact, 60% of young immigrants find their professional skills overlooked by U.S. employers, who often disregard professional experience and education gained overseas.

Working with her Upwardly Global job coach

The tide shifted when Lyubava discovered Upwardly Global, an organization dedicated to assisting immigrants and refugees in finding professional employment in the U.S. Through the support and guidance of her job coach, Esmeralda, Lyubava learned to navigate the intricacies of the U.S. job market, from resume building to interview preparation.

“When I first found Upwardly Global, I felt so relieved,” she remembers. “Finally, I found someone who could understand me, who could support me, who could answer all my stupid questions.”

Esmeralda not only provided practical insights but also served as a source of emotional support, helping Lyubava overcome moments of self-doubt and frustration. The targeted career coaching offered by Upwardly Global was a game-changer.

“Esmeralda was helping me to keep going through all the failures,” says Lyubava. “You had someone who could explain to you what exactly went wrong and how you could fix it.”

In August of 2023, Lyubava secured a consulting role at Upwardly Global itself, where a large portion of the staff are also immigrants, refugees, or asylees. During the preparations for their annual gala, she worked for about a month as Development Associate.

“Working on the development team at Upwardly Global was so satisfying,” Lyubava says. “It was my first legit job in the U.S., [and] it was the best option I could ever have — it was like a completely different magical world of people who really care.”

Supporting other Ukrainian immigrants

Soon into the role, Lyubava discovered a new opportunity that better aligned with her skills and aspirations, yet promised a similarly positive impact on her community. In late September, she transitioned into a leading role at a tech startup called A-Players, which helps displaced Ukrainian immigrants secure jobs with startup founders.

“Every time I have an interview with a new candidate, it’s heartbreaking — how extremely gifted, talented people are struggling,” she says. “And on the other hand, being able to give back and help your community thrive … it’s also extremely satisfying that I am able to build a great future for them.”

As Lyubava settles into her new career in New York, she hasn’t forgotten about the indelible mark that Upwardly Global left on her.

“The hope that Upwardly Global provides for refugees and immigrants is that … you’re capable enough,” she says. “You’re extremely talented, and sometimes you just really need a little bit of help.”

Find out more about Upwardly Global’s career resources for immigrants and refugees here.

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Ayo is one of the thousands of Illinoisians who are international medical graduates (IMGs); she is ready and eager to become a doctor in the U.S., but hasn’t completed the process due to exclusionary practices in the medical field.

Having grown up in a rural community in Nigeria plagued by high infant-mortality rates, Ayo always aspired to provide critical care to mothers and families. In pursuit of her dream, Ayo attended medical school in the Caribbean and completed six months of clinical rotations in Chicago, where she met her husband. 

Roadblocks international medical graduates face in the U.S.

Ayo moved to Chicago in 2017 and immediately began the process to become a licensed physician by certifying her foreign credentials and completing two of the three required medical licensing exams. Through Upwardly Global’s free job coaching program, she secured a position as a medical assistant, earning $15 per hour, while simultaneously applying for clinical residency programs — an essential step towards obtaining licensure in the U.S.

Despite sending dozens of residency applications in 2017, Ayo was devastated to receive zero interview invitations. International medical school graduates secure residency slots at a rate of only 60% compared to 93% for U.S. graduates. Since then, she has applied for slots each year while building her resume through volunteer work.

“If the matching process wasn’t this stringent, that would really help,” says Ayo, reflecting on the hard work put into those applications year after year.

Volunteering with other IMGs

In 2020, Ayo obtained a unique Missouri license as an Assistant Physician, joining over 20 IMG Assistant Physicians who volunteer their expertise in health clinics across the state. Many even travel from neighboring states to gain the necessary experience for a competitive residency candidacy.

“It’s amazing what we do. … It’s a volunteer thing, but there is so much joy,” says Ayo. “It reminds us of what we came to this world to do.”

With the added experience, Ayo finally received invitations to interview for residency slots, yet she remains unmatched. Despite being a close contender, an institution cited her “older” graduation year of 2015 as a reason for not securing a position.

“I don’t think it is fair — I might be an old grad, but trust me, I know how to run the floor. I’ve been seeing patients independently for two years,” Ayo says. “I don’t know why it’s so difficult for them to give us a chance. I don’t know where the phobia comes from.”

Another chance at relicensure in Illinois

Ayo currently volunteers at St. Anthony Hospital in Chicago while working with her Upwardly Global job coach. After the recent legislative changes in Illinois, she’ll be able to apply for a limited license to practice under a supervising physician in 2025, which will give her a pathway to full physician licensure without having to match for residency.

After more than a decade of school, work, and endless volunteering, Ayo may finally earn the recognition her talents and perseverance deserve.

“This is the U.S. — there is always a way,” says Ayo. “You must have hope.”

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Read Upwardly Global’s new report, “Illinois’ Trailblazing Solution to Doctor Shortages: Opening Doors for Immigrant, Refuge, and Asylee Healthcare Professionals.”

The post A Nigerian Doctor’s Journey To Fill Critical Medical Gaps in Illinois appeared first on Upwardly Global.

Lorenzo arrived in the U.S. just before the borders closed in February of 2020. He made a life-changing decision to move from Italy to be with his now-wife. Had he moved one week later, the looming pandemic would have locked him out of the country.

In Italy, Lorenzo had earned both a master’s and Ph.D. before leaving for the U.S. As an accomplished academic, he had nurtured a unique sense of curiosity while growing up.

“I spent most of my childhood in this very little town in the area outside of Bologna,” reflects 35-year-old Lorenzo. His hometown’s lush rolling hills served as a backdrop to his inquisitive nature.

 “I had this general propensity towards learning as much as I can about the people around me in the world,” he says. This led him to the University of Bologna, where he pursued a bachelor’s in anthropology and, later, a master’s and Ph.D. in disciplines of music. Lorenzo immersed himself in academic pursuits, exploring questions about culture and resilience. He also ventured into instructional design, founding a small education service company.

The search for meaningful work

After immigrating in 2020, Lorenzo had no idea where he fit. His wife’s salary supported them while he spent his initial months in the U.S. searching for meaningful work. Despite his efforts, he remained unemployed for over a year and his mental health deteriorated.

“I was struggling a lot,” he says. “Coming to a different country, trying to figure out what you’ve done, what you can do, what it means for you … Those are huge questions that aren’t really easy to answer.”

When his wife found an ad on LinkedIn for Upwardly Global, everything changed. He applied for the program and found a wealth of career navigation tools to guide him through the professional transition.

Finding a sense of purpose

“By going through [Upwardly Global’s] learning platform, I started to patch things together,” says Lorenzo, who had diverse skills in academic research, coding, instructional design, UX research, and data analysis. “I had a [career] coach who was very gentle and patient with me because I had such a load of thoughts — like ‘What if I do this? What if I do that?’”

Little did he know that Upwardly Global would become more than a temporary support system. In April of 2021, he landed a job as the Partnership and Volunteer Lead in Upwardly Global’s New York office. His role connected immigrants and refugees with the resources to find meaningful work in the U.S.

Lorenzo discovered that he wasn’t alone in his struggles. In the U.S., there are over two million immigrants, refugees, and asylees with professional qualifications who are unemployed or working in jobs that require no more than a high school diploma. Upwardly Global plays a vital role in empowering this community of professionals to secure jobs that align with their qualifications, with program alumni earning an average starting salary of $65,000.

“Upwardly Global enabled me to make sense of where I was coming from. What kind of contribution I could bring to the world around me,” Lorenzo says, aiming to make a difference through his work. He recalls a song that guided him during this transformative period from Solange’s album “A Seat at the Table.” The lyrics resonated deeply: “Walk in your ways, so you can sleep at night.”

Making a positive impact

Behind the scenes, his new colleagues — and fans — were cooking up a role that would meld his skills in perfect harmony. In 2022, he became Product Manager of Upwardly Global’s online learning platform.

“Music is a language, a way of thinking … It can teach you a lot,” shares Lorenzo, who still draws on his previous studies to shape his professional work. “Even when I’m creating a PowerPoint, I think, ‘How can I make the components of this PowerPoint reinforce each other instead of working against each other?’ And I apply the concepts of harmony.”

At Upwardly Global, Lorenzo’s projects fuse together both his skills and his deep passion for making a positive impact. In his role, he reimagines content to foster cultural inclusivity, tailoring programs for a diverse user base. Come spring, Lorenzo will tally his third year at Upwardly Global.

“Again, it all comes back to, ‘Do what makes you sleep at night,’” he says, now settled into life in the U.S. “I do things that are fantastic. I sleep very peacefully at night.”

Want to find meaningful work with Upwardly Global and help immigrants and refugees restart their careers in the U.S.? Find all of our current job openings here.

The post Harmonizing Dreams: Italian Immigrant Finds Career With Impact in U.S. appeared first on Upwardly Global.

Vanessa only had $100 in her pocket when she touched down in New York City, her husband and 8-year-old daughter in tow. It was 2017; political unrest had driven them away from their home in Venezuela, where Vanessa had created a vibrant life and career as an anesthesiologist — her childhood dream come true.

“When I was in kindergarten, my mom gave me toys like stethoscopes, and I liked to play like I was a doctor,” Vanessa remembers fondly. 

After seven years of rigorous medical training, Vanessa earned her degree as a medical doctor in 2007, later establishing herself as a specialist in anesthesiology. After over a decade of building her medical career from the ground up in the mountain town of Merida, Venezuela, she never intended to leave.

Fleeing to the U.S.

However, after being forced to flee and seek asylum in the U.S., she and her family took on new challenges she never would have anticipated. On arrival, they lived in one small bedroom in a shared apartment, making ends meet through various construction jobs — from demolition to painting — across the city. She remembers making arepas, a traditional Venezuelan food, to sell to the other workers for lunch.

It would be five years before Vanessa found Upwardly Global’s Career Coaching Program, which held an introductory session for Venezuelans in the summer of 2022. She began to work with her career coach, Kyrie, who specializes in supporting international medical graduates.

By 2026, the U.S. is projected to face a shortage of over 3.2 million healthcare workers, while approximately 165,000 immigrants with international healthcare credentials remain unemployed or underemployed due to high barriers in the healthcare field. Vanessa, like so many other international medical graduates, had never imagined that a thriving medical career could be possible in her new country.

“I wanted to apply for something that [allowed me to] work in the surgery room,” says Vanessa, who realized that she’d be a perfect fit for anesthesia technician positions — a full-blown medical career without her having to repeat her education and residency.

Finding her way back to the operating room

Kyrie then found her a slew of open positions, supporting her through applications and interview prep. Come spring, she heard back from NewYork-Presbyterian, which offered her a role as a Senior Anesthesia Technician.

“The NewYork-Presbyterian HR department recognized my almost eight years of experience in the anesthesia field,” she says. “And that’s the reason why I now work as a Senior Anesthesia Technician.”

Just a few months into the job, Vanessa’s family has now moved into their own apartment, and her 13-year-old daughter has received a scholarship to attend a private school in the city. Vanessa aims to be an inspiration for her daughter, putting her all into her newfound career.

“Now, I feel like all my skills that I developed in Venezuela are waking up again,” she says. “In my interview, they asked me why I am applying for this job. I said it’s because I feel like being in the surgery room is like being at home. It’s the place that I know everything.”

Upwardly Global has worked closely with NewYork-Presbyterian to create on-ramps for international medical graduates into healthcare careers, and because the hospital welcomed her with such open arms, Vanessa aims to advance her career within their ranks alone. She knows that organizations that recognize her skills and experience are worth investing in twofold.

“Any person who has an international degree here in the U.S., somebody new in the country, they need help,” says Vanessa. “They don’t have a network here; they don’t have anything, only experience. Somebody needs to give them a hand and say, ‘Okay, I’m gonna help you jump into your career here.’ I think this is an example of what Upwardly Global did with me.”

Find out more about Upwardly Global’s career resources for immigrants and refugees here.

The post Venezuelan Anesthesiologist Finds Her Way Back to the Operating Room appeared first on Upwardly Global.

As a young woman in Afghanistan, 27-year-old Farzana stood out.

“I was one of those strange girls,” she says. Throughout her upbringing, she pushed her conservative family to support her educational pursuits, which Afghan women had limited access to. Her young adult life was colored by ambition — after earning a bachelor’s degree in economics at Kabul University, she seized an opportunity to attend a life-changing MBA program funded by USAID. Out of a thousand applicants, she was one of four women selected for the 25-slot program.

During the MBA program, Farzana saw her career blossom. She began an internship at the largest USAID women’s empowerment program in the world, eventually being hired on as an HR Assistant and later an HR Officer. She then transitioned into a role as an Administrative Officer at Afghanistan’s Presidential Palace.

Fleeing Afghanistan for the U.S.

Nearly five years into a thriving career, in August of 2021, the ground shifted beneath her feet as the Taliban regained control of the country. With Farzana and her husband both working in the political sphere, they were no longer safe. 

“I had no idea that I [had] to leave until ten minutes before I left,” she says. “My father-in-law called and said, ‘I’m sending a taxi … be prepared and come to the airport.’ I remember all I did was grab my education documents and move.”

Farzana and her husband eventually landed on U.S. soil, joining nearly 90,000 other Afghan evacuees. They spent four months at a military camp in Wisconsin, their future uncertain.

“It was the most horrible experience of my life,” Farzana reflects. “You had to wait in line for hours for food. I [had] left with no clothes — just what I was wearing. You had no privacy. You had nothing.”

Starting over in the United States

By the following summer, Farzana regained her footing in New York City. After learning about Upwardly Global while doing volunteer work, Farzana spent four months in their Career Coaching Program, hoping to secure a professional role that matched her prior experience.

“All the other Afghans that came before us, they had the mindset that you can’t have an office job in the U.S. — you have to struggle,” Farzana says. She didn’t buy it.

In fact, Afghan refugees earn an average starting salary of nearly $60,000 after working with Upwardly Global. Over 10,000 Afghan refugees bring this kind of professional expertise — many just need support in adjusting to a new job market.

“It was a different experience here — the way you have to present yourself is quite different,” explains Farzana. “[Upwardly Global’s] amazing courses make you feel ready for the job — how to do networking, how to market yourself.”

While navigating the U.S. job market from scratch, Upwardly Global helped her reshape her job applications to fit the U.S. criteria. Nearly every day prior to big interviews, she practiced mock interviews with her career coach in preparation.

“Those mock interviews with Upwardly Global were amazing. I think those helped me a lot to pass my interviews,” she says.

In July of 2022, she began her first U.S. job as a Senior Development Associate at UJA-Federation New York, one of the largest philanthropic organizations in the world. It supports a plethora of causes Farzana has a deep connection with, from combating poverty to global crises response.

Women’s rights under Taliban rule

As Farzana restarts her own life and career, her thoughts linger with her family, now scattered across the globe. One of Farzana’s sisters remains in Afghanistan, and she hopes to one day bring her to the U.S. 

“I was living in the brightest years of Afghanistan because I was able to work. There were restrictions — nothing was very open for us — but at least we had basic human rights,” Farzana remembers. “Now, girls are not allowed to go to school … to go to work … to be in public without being accompanied by a man. You’re a woman, and society’s definition for women is that they should be in the house. Women are [just] that.”

While much remains uncertain for Afghans both at home and abroad, Farzana is hopeful. With support from organizations like Upwardly Global, she has found the strength to push forward.

“I’m always recommending [Upwardly Global] to friends of mine who are coming to the U.S.,” she says. “I’m like, ‘Go to Upwardly Global. That’s the best thing you can do.'”

Find out more about Upwardly Global’s career resources for immigrants and refugees here.

The post “All I did was grab my education documents and move.” appeared first on Upwardly Global.

“I love to learn. I can’t stand still and do nothing; it’s not my nature,” says 46-year-old Samah, who moved from Egypt to the United States with her family in 2019. “Even when I have nothing to do, I create something to do. This characteristic makes me search for sources … to help me figure out my way.”

Samah’s active career and family life have always been deeply intertwined. She received a bachelor’s degree in education nearly thirty years ago and spent the following decades teaching English at the schools her two children attended. Samah’s ambitious spirit passed onto her eldest daughter, who dreamt of becoming a doctor in America.

“After a little bit of thinking, we decided to move [to the U.S.] after she finished high school in Egypt,” says Samah, whose husband and two daughters happened to possess U.S. citizenship thanks to her husband’s upbringing in America. As for Samah, she had to navigate the process of applying for a green card. In December of 2019, she made the journey, leaving behind her homeland for a new life.

Finding guidance from Upwardly Global

“I woke up every day thinking I was still in Egypt,” says Samah, now in Queens, New York. While the rest of her family found their callings, she felt utterly lost. “I took many classes in Queens Library. My teacher — I will never forget her because she helped me a lot — she told me about Upwardly Global.”

From the moment Samah joined the Upwardly Global family, she felt a renewed sense of hope and purpose. Her Employment Service Advisor became her trusted ally, providing a treasure trove of resources and wisdom about navigating the American education system and job market.

“Without my career coach, I would never be able to [navigate] the Department of Education,” Samah says, emphasizing the department’s highly complex process for evaluating credentials.

In the United States, teachers face mounting red tape and licensing requirements, factors contributing to the nationwide shortage of about 300,000 teachers and staff. This challenge particularly affects qualified immigrants and refugees who, like Samah, are ready to fill much-needed teaching roles but cannot validate their foreign credentials.

“I felt so frustrated,” says Samah. “I couldn’t see any light at the end of the tunnel. But with Upwardly Global, I saw the light, and I followed it … .”

With individualized support from her Upwardly Global advisor, Samah tailored her resume, crafted compelling cover letters, and sharpened her interview skills. Through targeted training sessions, she gained the confidence to tackle any interview question thrown her way. And yet, Samah still worried — would it all be enough?

Becoming a teacher again

Samah has begun the lengthy process of evaluation and certification, pushing through all of the bureaucratic hurdles with grace. In late 2022, she landed work as a substitute teacher, and she now regularly goes on assignment to teach grade school classrooms across New York City.

“I’m really satisfied with this chance to be a substitute teacher because I can manage my time and I have a privilege to accept or decline assignments,” says Samah, who is still awaiting a few documents from her home country that could translate into full licensure.

Samah explains that Upwardly Global has done much more than support her job search. It’s also helped her to embrace her capabilities, find her voice, and adapt to new surroundings.

“Upwardly Global helps me figure out my way here in this country —  I regularly send my career coach an email when I make any new steps,” Samah says. “The last time we spoke, we were trying to get my certificate to be a [full-time] teacher.”

Her calling rings loud and clear each day that she spends teaching, and now, full licensure feels just within reach.

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Want to find meaningful work with Upwardly Global and help immigrants and refugees restart their careers in the U.S.? Find all of our current job openings here.

The post Egyptian Teacher Pursues U.S. Teaching Career With Upwardly Global appeared first on Upwardly Global.

In 2017, a stint as a boxing champion allowed 35-year-old Ihor to move from Ukraine to Minneapolis, Minnesota, on a U.S. talent visa — but his skills go far beyond the ring. In his home country, he had also been a doctor specializing in neurology.

“After I came to the United States, I was working multiple different jobs. It was very hard to find myself and my pathway,” says Ihor, who worked as a boxing coach, massage therapist, and delivery driver to make ends meet.

Medical relicensing in the U.S.

In Ukraine, Ihor spent over eight years obtaining his medical license and gained valuable experience providing care. However, when he relocated to the U.S., he thought it would be impossible to practice neurology again. His international licensing simply wouldn’t translate.

Many internationally licensed healthcare professionals encounter barriers to relicensing, an often costly and time-consuming process requiring years of extra hurdles. And yet, the U.S. anticipates a shortage of over 3.2 million healthcare workers by 2026.

Nonetheless, Ihor found inspiration from fellow immigrants on the relicensing journey. Spurred by their encouragement, he decided to embark on this years-long process.

Between shifts, Ihor offered to work for free at a small general practitioner clinic. Within a few years, he began a neurology “observership” with the support of the clinic’s doctors. He later passed the required exams with flying colors, but even so, he spent two years applying to residency programs with no luck.

“I had very big hopes. People were telling me during the interview, ‘You’re a very strong candidate, but no match,” says Ihor, disheartened. “After multiple different trials and efforts, I [found out] about Upwardly Global.”

Career coaching from Upwardly Global

Tamar, his Upwardly Global career coach, helped him find research experience to strengthen his applications. She provided expert guidance on resume improvement and interview skills with a special focus on immigrants in the medical field.

“Upwardly Global helped me with building the structure of my resume [and taught me] how to find a job,” says Ihor. “Also, they provided me with specific certifications, which also gave big benefits in the job search.”

In 2022, he landed an opportunity to perform microcraniotomy on mice in a laboratory at the University of Minnesota. Ihor’s skills grew as he studied traumatic brain injuries and conducted behavioral tests. His supervisor, the Head of the Neurology Department, wrote a glowing recommendation letter.

“Later, I started applying for medical residency. Upwardly Global helped me a lot with my application, especially with my personal statement,” says Ihor, whose job coach supported him through numerous revisions. “And finally, I think we nailed it.”

During interview season, Tamar connected him with current medical residents for mock interviews. This valuable practice played a crucial role in his success.

“Upwardly Global gave me a huge boost to my career search,” Ihor says. “It’s really sad that I didn’t run into Upwardly Global earlier in my life in America. I would’ve gone into research or the medical field much earlier than I did.”

Matching with the U.S. medical residency program

In 2023, Ihor matched with Berkshire Medical Center, an affiliate of the University of Massachusetts. He finally achieved his goal of a medical residency.

“If you know about Upwardly Global, work with them right away,” Ihor advises. “Because this will be the shortest pathway to your main goal and to your dream.”

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Want to find meaningful work with Upwardly Global and help immigrants and refugees restart their careers in the U.S.? Find all of our current job openings here.

The post Upwardly Global Helps Ukrainian Doctor Land U.S. Medical Residency appeared first on Upwardly Global.

In his native Colombia, 29-year-old Juan never dared to dream of married life as a gay man. But when he arrived in the United States as an au pair, his viewpoint shifted. Living with a gay host family exposed him to a world where having a husband and children was not just a dream but a potential reality.

“In Colombia, being gay is not easy. Moving in with a partner isn’t very accepted … there will always be judgment around you,” says Juan. “I just wanted to be myself and not have to hide anything.”

In 2019, Juan ultimately decided to leave behind a successful career — an advertising degree from one of Colombia’s top universities and over three years in brand management — to seek asylum in the U.S. Despite the sacrifice, he knew it was the only way to fully embrace his LGBTQ+ identity and live a life of freedom.

“It was really sad for [my mom] to see me, a professional from a really well-known university, come here [to the U.S.] to clean up diapers,” says Juan. “In Colombia, I was working for the best [advertising] agency in the world. I was building a very good future there — but it was only a professional future. [In the U.S.], I was just putting myself first, prioritizing myself and my mental health.”

Finding a professional job as an asylee

In 2022, Juan received the life-changing news that he’d been granted asylum in the U.S. At the time, he still worked in childcare, but he faced a new challenge: restarting a professional career that could support his future. With a resume tailored only to the Colombian job market, he applied to dozens of jobs with no results. 

“I always told my friends that as soon as I got my paperwork done, I’d work in advertising. I don’t care what it takes,” says Juan, whose job search intensified with little to show. “But I was getting very, very frustrated.”

A friend told him about Upwardly Global, and initially, Juan had misconceptions. He thought that Upwardly Global would simply find him a job. However, their role was to equip him with the necessary skills and resources to navigate the job market independently.

Through Upwardly Global’s online courses, Juan mastered the intricacies of American-style resumes, cover letters, and interviews. With the guidance of his job coach — who shared his LGBTQ+ identity and understood his struggles firsthand — Juan gained confidence and secured multiple interviews.

After three rounds of interviews, he was offered a position as an Account Executive at DDB, a renowned international agency, finally realizing his dream of working in advertising in the United States.

Upwardly Global’s impact

“Upwardly Global was my best ally when I found my first [professional] job in America,” says Juan. “I feel very grateful to everyone in this [organization] but especially to my job coach, who guided me along the way and knew how to solve all my doubts.”

He was not alone in confronting significant barriers to professional work. Nationwide, over two million immigrants with professional skills work low-wage jobs that require no more than a high school diploma.

“I will always recommend Upwardly Global to all my immigrant friends because this journey is not so easy for us,” says Juan, who has now been working in advertising for almost a year. “Thanks to [Upwardly Global], we can fulfill our dreams and goals.”

—

Want to find meaningful work with Upwardly Global and help immigrants and refugees restart their careers in the U.S.? Find all of our current job openings here.

The post Colombian Advertising Professional and Gay Asylee Breaks Barriers in the U.S. appeared first on Upwardly Global.

“We are overjoyed to see the recognition and amplification of our work, which focuses on empowering the voices, skills, and contributions of our Afghan community,” said Jina Krause-Vilmar, President and CEO of Upwardly Global. “Now, we continue to advocate for the protection of Afghans’ legal statuses in the U.S., an essential prerequisite to work authorization and inclusion.”

The Afghan response campaign included a microsite featuring multimedia stories of accomplished Afghans who have restarted their careers through Upwardly Global’s career coaching and skilling program. These tailored resources helped hundreds of Afghan refugees secure employment aligned with their skills and provide stability for their families in the U.S. It also included social media content, digital ads, and advocacy of the Afghan Adjustment Act. Afghan job seekers were featured in news outlets like CNBC and HR Magazine among others.

Ragan’s Crisis Communications Awards acknowledges the campaigns, messaging, responses, people, and teams that were instrumental in mitigating the damage caused by a crisis, according to Ragan Communications.

Find out more about Upwardly Global’s Afghan response efforts here.

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About Upwardly Global

Upwardly Global’s mission is to eliminate employment barriers for low-income immigrant and refugee professionals and to advance their inclusion into the U.S. economy. Since 2000, Upwardly Global has empowered unemployed or underemployed newcomers with the skills, career coaching, and social capital needed to rebuild their lives and careers. Learn more at UpwardlyGlobal.org.

About Ragan Communications

Ragan Communications is the leading resource and publisher of information about corporate communications, internal communication, and employee communications. For more than 50 years, they have been delivering trusted news, training, and intelligence to internal and external communicators, HR professionals, and business executives. Find out more at www.Ragan.com.

The post Upwardly Global’s Afghan Response Earns Honorable Mention in Crisis Communications Awards appeared first on Upwardly Global.

In February of 2022, Sofiia’s six-year-old daughter was brushing her teeth when explosions first shook their home in Ukraine. Ten days later, they fled the country as Sofiia feared for her daughter’s safety.

“My kid, she remembered those explosions for months,” says Sofiia, who resettled in the U.S. through the Uniting for Ukraine sponsorship program. “I remember on the Fourth of July, we were here [in the U.S.]. She couldn’t sleep during the night because she thought war was also here.”

Restarting her career with Ukrainian credentials

Now in Pasadena, California, Sofiia faced a whole new challenge: restarting her career in neurology with a young child under her wing. Back in Ukraine, she had the equivalent of both an M.D. and a Ph.D. in neurology. In the U.S., it felt like starting from zero, as the U.S. system doesn’t recognize foreign credentials.

When she found Upwardly Global, her story changed completely. The program requirements, including English proficiency and proof of higher education, assured her that “this was serious.” After joining the program, Sofiia’s job coach supported her through every step of the job search process, from resume building to interview prep.

“I put everything in my resume, because I thought ‘the more, the better,’ but [my job coach] explained to me how it works here,” says Sofiia, who then cut her resume down to the most important qualifications. “I would say it’s almost perfect now.”

Working hand-in-hand with Upwardly Global

By December, Sofiia had weekly meetings with her job coach, who walked her through the U.S. medical system and all its nuances. With Upwardly Global’s consistent check-ins and support, Sofiia says that, more than anything, “I didn’t lose belief in myself.”

Within a few months, she found work in a neurology lab conducting clinical trials on multiple sclerosis (MS) medications. Her employer, Dr. Regina Berkovich, is a Russian immigrant herself.

“We have similar stories — she was an Assistant Professor when she moved here,” Sofiia says. “She understands the situation, and I believe she sees herself in me.”

Giving back and supporting Ukrainian soldiers

Despite working in her field again, Sofiia still wants to do more. Every Saturday, light pours into the volunteer center where she and her now seven-year-old make medical kits for Ukrainian soldiers alongside a nurturing community.

“It’s a miracle in my life,” Sofiia says, lit up. Not only does she provide critical medical care for those in Ukraine, but also through her MS research in the U.S. One day, she hopes to regain licensure and become a practicing neurologist once again.

Find out more about Upwardly Global’s career resources for immigrants and refugees here.

The post Ukrainian Neurologist Rebuilds Career and Finds Community in the U.S. appeared first on Upwardly Global.

NEW YORK — Upwardly Global’s work supporting Afghan newcomers restarting their lives and careers in the U.S. just landed an honorable mention for Fast Company’s 2023 World Changing Ideas Awards. Announced today, the award honors sustainable designs, innovative products, bold social initiatives, and other creative projects that are changing the world.

“We are thrilled that our work impacting Afghan newcomers is being recognized by Fast Company,” said Jina Krause-Vilmar, CEO and President of Upwardly Global. “We will continue to champion workforce inclusion for Afghan newcomers, elevate their stories and voices, and ensure that these individuals can stay and work in the U.S. through passage of the Afghan Adjustment Act.” 

This year’s World Changing Ideas Awards showcase 45 winners, 216 finalists, and 300 honorable mentions — with health, climate, energy, and AI among the most popular categories. A panel of Fast Company editors and reporters selected winners and finalists from a pool of more than 2,200 entries across urban design, education, nature, politics, technology, corporate social responsibility, and more. Several new categories were added this year including rapid response, crypto and blockchain, agriculture, and workplace. The 2023 awards feature entries from across the globe, from Italy to Singapore to New Zealand. 

“It’s thrilling to see the creativity and innovation that are so abundant among this year’s honorees,” said Fast Company Editor-in-Chief Brendan Vaughan. “While it’s easy to feel discouraged by the state of the world, the entrepreneurs, companies, and nonprofits featured in this package show the limitless potential to address society’s most urgent problems. Our journalists have highlighted some of the most exciting and impactful work being done today — from housing to equity to sustainability — and we look forward to seeing not only how these projects evolve but how they inspire others to develop solutions of their own.

Fast Company recognized Upwardly Global’s Afghan response work that began in August of 2021 during the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan that led to more than 76,000 Afghan newcomers entering the U.S. Upwardly Global worked with leading businesses and tech companies, as well as media, government, refugee, and interfaith partners to document the exceptional professional backgrounds and skills of thousands of Afghans and prepare them for the U.S. workforce. Upwardly Global’s work indelibly changed the lives of those it served, allowing them and their families to resettle with dignity and retain hope. It also helped lift Afghan voices to transform hiring practices, policy, and public consciousness around refugee and immigrant inclusion.

Upwardly Global’s career-support work has placed 470 Afghan professionals into well-paying, skill-aligned jobs — with annual salaries averaging over $59,000 — through one-on-one career coaching, resume-building support, and access to our network of employers. Additionally, over 4,500 Afghan evacuees utilized our Afghan-specific online learning platform, where they were able to access professional development certifications from Google and Coursera, reskilling opportunities, and other career-support resources.

In 2023, Upwardly Global is continuing to advocate for Afghan newcomers, urging Congress to pass the Afghan Adjustment Act, legislation that would help expedite pathways to permanent legal status for Afghan newcomers, expand eligibility requirements for the Special Immigrant Visa program, and create a new interagency task force to help relocate at-risk allies left behind in Afghanistan. 

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About the World Changing Ideas Awards

World Changing Ideas is one of Fast Company’s major annual awards programs and is focused on social good, seeking to elevate finished products and brave concepts that make the world better. A panel of judges from across sectors choose winners, finalists, and honorable mentions based on feasibility and the potential for impact. With the goals of awarding ingenuity and fostering innovation, Fast Company draws attention to ideas with great potential and helps them expand their reach to inspire more people to start working on solving the problems that affect us all.

The post Upwardly Global Recognized in Fast Company’s ‘World Changing Ideas’ Awards appeared first on Upwardly Global.

Berhan spent much of her childhood underground. Crouched in bomb shelters underneath her family’s home in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, she and her seven siblings grew up in hiding. Daily missile attacks ravaged the region during the 1980’s Ethiopian Civil War and famine.

Despite growing up in the midst of conflict, Berhan excelled in school and earned a marketing degree from a top university in Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia. She worked for over 12 years in marketing and business and became Head of Consumer Planning, Research, and Capability at a multinational beverage company. At the time, Berhan had even dreamt of starting her own business.

But Berhan’s success was short-lived. In 2020, political tensions flared and violence erupted once again, making the Tigrayan people — including Berhan and her family — targets.

“You’re living in the 21st century, but you were experiencing these horrific medieval times,” Berhan remembers of the civil war. Berhan held her breath as record-breaking numbers of sexual violence cases broke out around her. In March of 2021, she had no choice but to leave for the United States.

“Starting over again at 33 — it’s not something that you want to do,” says Berhan. “I’ll be safe. I’ll be free. But I don’t know what will happen to my life goals after losing everything I have worked for.”

Arriving in the U.S. with few connections and no job prospects, Berhan found herself working as a nanny to make ends meet while she applied for asylum. By March of 2022, a friend told her about Upwardly Global, changing her course completely.

“Getting introduced to Upwardly Global just opened the door for me. I cannot thank you enough,” says Berhan, who credits her job coach with giving her the confidence to apply for jobs that she had thought were out of reach.

Upwardly Global supported her through several mock interviews and networking events. These new professional connections led Berhan to land a job as a Category Analyst at Giant Food. Three months later, she was promoted to Senior Category Analyst, and her job coach helped her negotiate for a competitive salary package.

“I have actually referred [Upwardly Global] to a lot of people like me,” Berhan says. “The fact that [Upwardly Global] gives people the affirmation that [they] would qualify [for jobs] is very huge. There are so many ways you can help support people, but to motivate them … kudos to you.”

Berhan, now 35, keeps busy with work, but she is able to call her nieces and nephews in Ethiopia every day now that the war has ended. It is their perseverance and smiles over FaceTime that inspire her to dream again, this time on U.S. soil.

—

Want to find meaningful work with Upwardly Global and help immigrants and refugees restart their careers in the U.S.? Find all of our current job openings here.

The post Upwardly Global Empowers Ethiopian Asylum Seeker to Restart Marketing Career in the U.S. appeared first on Upwardly Global.

In 2015, Ade won the lottery. Not the gambling kind — the visa kind. Three years into his professional IT career in Benin, a French-speaking country in West Africa, he moved to the U.S. on a diversity visa, which granted him free permanent residency in the U.S. on a lottery system.

As a child, 32-year-old Ade’s late father worked as a pilot in Nigeria, inspiring him to dream beyond West African borders. Fuzzy memories of time spent in Nigeria bring tears to his eyes — and push him to his fullest potential.

In Benin, he earned a bachelor’s in computer science and built an IT consulting company from the ground up. Meanwhile, he searched for opportunities to immigrate elsewhere, maybe France. Little did he know that the U.S. would send a personal invite.

By July of 2016, Ade lived with a cousin in Chicago while finding his footing within the U.S. labor market.

“One week after I arrived, I was downtown in the Upwardly Global office,” says Ade, laughing. He’d started collecting jobs in retail, warehouse, and big box stores, juggling two to three jobs at a time. All while working with Upwardly Global to find a professional job in IT.

“My job coach was amazing — she empowered me to believe that everything I know is valuable,” says Adedjobi. “I started getting calls from recruiters [and] getting interviews for companies.”

Ade didn’t initially apply for the Systems Administrator position at Upwardly Global; his job coach did it for him. With her support, he ultimately landed the job.

“I thought, ‘Yeah, why not?’ I love the mission, [and] I was ready to give back if I could, to use my expertise to help other people,” Ade says. “I’m filled with gratitude. Thanks to Upwardly Global, I’ve gotten back my confidence in my skills, and now we’re doing that for thousands of people.”

Now, seven years later, Ade has settled into American life with Upwardly Global at the top of his resume. Just last year, he became a U.S. citizen, a reality he had once never thought possible.

“We deserve to be here as human beings, and we need to be confident in that fact no matter where we come from, what we’ve learned, and why we are here,” says Ade. “We just have to believe that our contribution is valuable and needed in this country and the world.”

—

Want to find meaningful work with Upwardly Global and help immigrants and refugees restart their careers in the U.S.? Find all of our current job openings here.

The post From West Africa to the Midwest: How Upwardly Global Helped an IT Professional Find His American Dream appeared first on Upwardly Global.

After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022, Anastasiia, an HR Manager from a small town in southern Ukraine, feared for the safety of her eight-year-old son.

“We lived in a literal nightmare,” says Anastasiia. “I didn’t want to leave Ukraine because I loved my country [and] I loved everything I had built there, but I wanted to protect my child.”

In late spring, Anastasiia and her son packed their things and moved across the world to live with their U.S. sponsor in Long Island, New York, where they started their lives over from scratch as the summer set in. Waiting on work authorization, Anastasiia couldn’t jump into the workforce right away, but she felt more than ready to make the leap.

“I was ready to go to the nearest pizzeria and be a waitress – it was a question of providing for my son and surviving,” says Anastasiia. “But I have two master’s degrees, and my friend assured me that I shouldn’t do that.”

By September, Anastasiia had her work permit and found Upwardly Global, where her job coach guided her through their “perfect” training program, helping her transfer a master’s in human resources and six years of HR management experience from Ukraine into the professional U.S. job market.

“When I learned about Upwardly Global, I understood that everything would be fine [and] I would be in good hands,” says Anastasiia. “I had a great desire to start work here, and based on my experience and skills, I was sure that I would be able to find a good job with their help.”

After just one month in the career coaching program, which helped her build her resume and interview skills, she landed a job as an IT recruiter at Raj Technologies. But even as her new life and career in the U.S. fell into place, war raged on in her home country.

“My family’s still there in Ukraine – I left my mom, my dad, my granny, my cat,” says Anastasiia, who tries to call every single day.

Anastasiia’s family of two is settling into a routine – each day, she goes to work and her son goes to school. It hasn’t been easy to start over while the rest of her family lives under constant threat, and despite her worries, Anastasiia is grateful to have found a better life for her son.

“The fact that I’m working now is a good example for [my son],” says Anastasiia. “If you want to survive, you have to work, and you have to work hard.”

Find out more about Upwardly Global’s career resources for Ukrainian professionals in the U.S.

The post Ukrainian Refugee and HR Professional Restarts Career in U.S. appeared first on Upwardly Global.

When her father passed away in the Somali Civil War, Najma’s mother left the country for Norway when her daughters were still toddlers, hoping for an opportunity to provide for her children — an opportunity she did not have in Somalia. A troop of young sisters — one of them Najma — were then left to be raised by their grandparents.

“I’m from a very humble background,” says Najma. “I was taken care of by my grandmother, and I think she gave us the best she could — she used to work so we could get something to eat. I am grateful for that.”

In Somalia, Najma had limited opportunities to go to school, but always dreamt of being educated. As a young teen, reconnecting with her mother in Norway finally opened up avenues for her to realize that dream. By 2018, she graduated from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology with a master’s degree in chemical engineering and biotechnology.

With her degrees in hand, she then decided to move to the U.S. to be with her husband, facing more barriers despite her academic achievements.

“When I came here, I only had a degree. It became hard for me to [enter] the professional job market,” Najma says, recalling a tough few years of rejected job applications. “I applied to so many different roles I knew I was qualified for, but I never [got] the opportunity to get interviewed. I tried to build up my interview skills and my job search skills, [but] it never worked for me.”

Najma spent years applying for jobs in her field, and her confidence waned. At long last, in 2022, she met a young woman at an English language class for immigrants who told her about Upwardly Global.

“I started to utilize the programs, like ‘how to write a resume,’ ‘how to answer interview questions,’ and I had job coach meetings with Tamar, who is an amazing woman,” she says. “Because I changed my resume, I got [an] interview for the role I’m doing right now. I was so surprised!”

After just a few weeks with Upwardly Global, Najma landed a ‘Scientist’ position with Bangs Laboratories Inc., where she now works to produce and synthesize polymers for different scientific applications. She believes that working with her career coach helped her regain the self-confidence she lost after years of not being able to land roles in her field.

“When you are new to a country with a new culture and a new language, it’s very tough to be where you want to be,” Najma shares, knowing full well the difficulties of restarting one’s life in an entirely new country — in her case, two, having to begin anew in both Norway and the U.S.

“Don’t lose hope. Ask for help. Sometimes, you cannot do everything on your own. You have to be willing to be vulnerable and willing to say, ‘I need help.’”

Find more information on Upwardly Global’s free resources for immigrant job seekers here.

The post Somali Scientist Excels in U.S. STEM appeared first on Upwardly Global.

In 2017, with only her law degree and backpack in hand, Luana, a then 23-year-old from Brazil, jumped on a plane to join her long-distance love in the U.S. She was nervous but hopeful, and had no idea what to expect from the U.S. labor market.

“The thing that I really needed was some counseling — someone who’d talk to me and say, ‘These are the options,’” says Luana.

For nearly half a decade, Luana struggled to identify which roles to apply for and which courses to take, sending off hundreds of applications with no luck. She found herself taking jobs as a babysitter and preschool teacher. Besides her partner, she had no connections in the U.S. at all. The exhausting job search alongside a full-time job in childcare proved no easy feat.

“Being a preschool teacher is very stressful,” says Luana. “It’s a contract job, and during the summer, you don’t have payment — it makes you feel unsafe; it makes you feel like you’re never gonna get out of this game and make good money. Looking back, I was dying every day.”

Two years into her job search, Luana took an English course for immigrants in an attempt to improve her professional communication skills, and the teacher referred her to Upwardly Global’s free career coaching and training program. With support from her job coach, she decided to pursue an unpaid internship in law while still working full time in childcare.

For nearly half a year, she worked two grueling jobs at once — one as a preschool teacher and another as an unpaid secretary at a law office. For no pay, she filed paperwork and took calls, all after long days of singing the alphabet and herding a class of children.

“Something inside of me said, ‘Keep going. I know it’s hard, but keep going,’” Luana says.

In April of 2022, after making some key connections in the U.S. legal field, Luana finally landed her current role as a Legal Processing Clerk at the San Francisco Public Defender’s office, where she now supports the legal representation of detained immigrants on the brink of deportation. It’s a deeply emotional job, but she knows how to handle the intensity of the work day — she never brings it home.

“Immigrants have a pretty difficult life; [they’re] people who are fighting to have a good job, to help their families, to fit into the system. It’s not an easy system,” says Luana. “Our job [at the Public Defender’s office] is to give these people the opportunity to defend themselves.”

Like the immigrants she works with, Luana’s own resilience is unwavering. Her goal is to one day become a skillful public defender herself, which she knows will require three more years of law school and a face-off with the bar exam.

“I really loved what I did in Brazil — my career — I really loved it. It was my passion, but [when] I decided to move here, I knew that it would be so hard to keep following this dream,” says Luana, now married to her long-distance sweetheart. “[Upwardly Global] was a very good start, and also, it was hope.”

Read our new report on job search barriers for young immigrants here. For all media inquiries, contact media@upwardlyglobal.org.

The post Brazilian Legal Professional Lands Dream Job After Four-Year Search appeared first on Upwardly Global.

“We left everything behind. Our careers, the city that we loved for years, my apartment, my car, everything,” says Jalal. “And then it kind of struck me — I have to start everything from scratch not only for me, but for my family.”

When Jalal’s family of five fled Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover in August of 2021, they flew out sitting on the bare floor of a U.S. military plane. Jalal, 42, who had previously earned his degree in public health and later worked for the USAID in Kabul, had absolutely no idea where they were going.

Jalal, his wife, and their 11, 8 and 3 year olds landed on a crowded U.S. air base in Germany, where they spent almost two months in a small tent with six other families. The days dragged on, mostly spent waiting in hour-long lines for food, maybe a shower.

“You will not live in war forever,” Jalal used to tell his kids, who passed the time scurrying between tents with new friends. After 50 days of waiting, soldiers shook the family awake in the middle of the night. It was time to fly out of the German air base — this time in a passenger plane with proper seats.

They landed in the U.S. at long last, and Jalal knew that he needed to find a job that could help rebuild his family’s lives.

“Now, they’re telling you, ‘Forget about your career,’” says Jalal. “‘Do whatever you can — do Uber, do pizza delivery, do this, do that.’ But I couldn’t.”

With his master’s in hand, Jalal wanted to support his family’s future, not just make ends meet. But he knew that restarting his life and career from scratch in the U.S. would require some help. He opted to submit his information to Talent Beyond Boundaries, which had created a database repository of Afghan refugees in search of employment.

In early 2022, Talent Beyond Boundaries offered additional support, referring Jalal to Upwardly Global, a direct service organization that specializes in helping immigrants and refugees with professional backgrounds find skill-aligned work. Upwardly Global had tailored its free job coaching, upskilling, and networking resources to address the significant barriers faced by the influx of Afghan refugees, an estimated 10,000 of them with professional degrees. 

“When I looked at the way Upwardly Global structured their training, I thought, ‘They’re reading Afghans’ minds,’” says Jalal.

He found that Upwardly Global’s one-on-one coaching and skilling programs predicted each of Afghan newcomers’ cross-cultural differences — Jalal’s resume, as simple as it seemed, required a complete reboot for the U.S. job market. Upwardly Global also directly connected Jalal to open positions at workplaces committed to hiring diverse talent.

After just three months, as warm weather ushered in the spring season, Jalal landed a job as a Monitoring and Evaluation Analyst at the Allegheny County Department of Human Services in his new home of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He has now worked there for over half a year, his family supported by the reliable salary.

Collaborations among critical organizations that support Afghans rebuilding their careers in the U.S. has led to Jalal’s and many other stories of successful transitions. After all, sometimes a support system can make all the difference.

With his career set in motion and his kids enrolled in the local public school, Jalal looks to the future now on a sturdier foundation — hoping to send his first kid to college in seven years, buy a house in ten, and live out his days in the U.S. for many decades to come.

As Jalal told his kids back at the German base, they would not live in war forever. With a bit of help, normal life finally resumed.

The post Afghan Lands on Solid Ground in Pittsburgh Public Health appeared first on Upwardly Global.

Ann’s corner office is tidy and practical, warmed by glowing lamplight. She peers to her left, and her monitor’s camera captures a professional headshot in real time. This is the angle that her students so often see her from when she teaches university courses in anatomy from her home office in New York.

Both a teacher and a student, Ann, 44, immigrated to the U.S. from Ghana in 2019 with a wide open mind. Leaving her husband, two kids, and an accomplished career in academia behind, she moved to be closer to her mother, who had immigrated to the U.S. for marriage years prior.

Ann had always thought her ticket to the U.S. would be as a student. Back in 2006, she found herself with that ticket in hand — a U.S. sponsor, acceptance into Harvard University’s biological sciences master’s program, and a student visa. Unfortunately, her sponsor passed away two months before she was set to depart.

“It was a blow,” says Ann, as her sponsor’s passing not only put her educational pursuits in the U.S. on a permanent hold, but barred her from living near her mother.

With just an undergraduate degree in hand, she had to rethink her entire life and career, ultimately getting her master’s degree in human anatomy at the University of Ghana instead. She spent the next decade contributing to the growth of the region’s top university.

By 2013, her teaching, mentorship, and research roles led to an international opportunity: a European Union-funded doctoral scholarship at the University of Nairobi in Kenya. During a three-year stint, she studied veterinary anatomy across the continent from her husband and budding family.

“My kids were really small — I mean, I had to leave my daughter when she was a baby,” says Ann. At the time, she even had to wean her daughter off of breast milk.

But Ann acknowledges that this initial distance eased her family’s worries about her next international move.

For years, Ann had traveled between Ghana and the U.S. to visit her mother. Over a decade after her first attempt to study in the U.S., she felt much less inclined to start over from scratch in a new country. But by 2019, Ann realized it was time to make the move. Once again, she had to leave her husband and kids behind.

“You know, kids — you talk to them,” Ann says. “Their minds were prepared a long time ago that this was happening, and if they want to join me here, then I have to come first.”

She had built her first career in academia from the ground up, and with her mind set on the jump across the Atlantic, she knew she could do the same in the U.S. It would just take some extra research.

“I just googled, ‘professionals integrating to the U.S.,’” Ann says, which connected her to the job coaches and training programs at Upwardly Global. Upon her arrival in 2019, her newest academic discipline of study was the American workforce.

After a few months with Upwardly Global, Anna saw the floodgates open, and offers from institutions across the U.S. began to pour in. Living with her mom in New York, she began a post-doc fellowship at Harvard Medical School, where she worked virtually in cancer research.

Now, Ann teaches anatomy as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Borough of Manhattan Community College, or BMCC, and works as a Clinical Research Coordinator at NewYork-Presbyterian.

“It’s a beautiful country — everybody loves to help,” says Ann, smiling. “Reaching out to Upwardly Global is a great way to get into the system and navigate your way through. All the resources are here, the opportunities are here; whatever you want to do, you can do.”

As she settles in, Ann has a glow in her eye — the expansive opportunities in her new country excite her curiosities about anatomy and disease prevention, and the roles she’s grown into now open doors for her family, too. Any minute now, her husband and kids will join.

“I wouldn’t say that I have ‘arrived’ just yet,” Ann laughs, the desk next to her aglow. “But it’s been up and up and up. Everything is possible here.”

The post Ghanian Anatomy Professor Dissects an Impressive Career to Begin Again in the U.S. appeared first on Upwardly Global.

There are 125 students in my medical class. 124 boys and me, one girl.

Usually, the patient come to the hospital after they just deliver baby at home. Once, we told the family the best option is to do hysterectomy. But they said no because they want kids from her. They took the woman to another hospital. They also told hysterectomy was best, but surgeon was a man. The husband did not allow a man to do it, so they brought her back to our hospital because I was there.

Sometimes, I do more than 10 hysterectomy in a month.

I can help my countrymen.

My father left Afghanistan when Russia ruled during the 1980s. So I was born in Pakistan. Our family from Afghanistan used to visit for a night or two. They used to come to Pakistan for medical reasons. I would see my countrymen were in struggle because no good doctors for them at home. So I was thinking, “Why not go into healthcare?” At least, I can help my countrymen in this way.

When I was 17, my father decide we should return to Afghanistan. My father was so happy to return home after so long away.

My first and last surgery.

My father gave two options: Go to higher education or bring a boy home to marry. All us sisters chose education. My first choice was medical.

There are 125 students in my class. 124 boys and me, one girl.

In our surgery department, we had two sections, one for men and one for women. But leadership was only men, even for our women side. My department asked me to be there for nights because woman side doesn’t have any woman doctor. I asked my father, but he was not allowing me. My father was not okay there is no women and only men. I told him, “I’m brave enough to protect myself. No one can actually say anything, do anything to me because I’m not going to allow it.” But still, my father was not allowing it. We had a family meeting. One of my brothers said, “If you are wanting to go, I will take you and stay with you the whole night.” He was 18 years old. He used to come with me to the hospital if I’m there late night.

I would talk with the students and new graduates to inspire the women to join our department. I met one woman who was still in medical school. I persuade the university to give her a job in our hospital because she is a merit student and interested in surgery. And she joined. I was really proud of that.

I was not supposed to do my last surgery. I was not on the schedule. But they told me that the surgeon is not here. They asked me for help. So I did it. I did not know it would be my last. And I was not even supposed to do it.

We are the breadwinners.

On August 15, Taliban took over. We stayed awake all night outside the airport. Everyone wanted to leave the country. You feel suffocated. So many people pressing into you, you could not even move your chest to breathe. Everyone was so scared. The area was flooded with water from draining system from bathroom of Kabul. There was feces there, urine, everything. We suffered a lot. 

We wanted to leave Afghanistan because we are family of women. Seven sisters. All educated. The Taliban would never support girls’ education. They never allow us to work. And we are the breadwinners for our family. So how would we survive? 

We have always been refugees. My father, us, now my nephew. Third generation of refugees. Being a refugee is a big burden on humans. Always starting from zero.

This is where I want to be.

At Fort Dix military camp in New Jersey, I found a meeting for job seekers run by Upwardly Global. They talk about the importance of research for healthcare system. If you are doctor, another option for you is research because qualifying as a doctor takes years and not everyone can take that path. Upwardly Global helped me get interviews for open jobs at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.

Now I am doing research at the hospital. I know I will do my best because it is where I want to be. I cannot go with practicals as a doctor right now because my university does not transfer over internationally, so this is the second thing I want to be. And I will have contact with many doctors and other healthcare professionals who can guide my career.

If I have opportunity to do my license evaluation, I will do. I would love to do surgery again. When I received my first credential upon my graduation, I was so happy. It is the biggest achievement I can have — to be a surgeon.

Read and listen to more of Sohaila’s and other Afghan stories here.

The post Afghan Surgeon Defies the Odds, Forges New Career in U.S. appeared first on Upwardly Global.

Being a pilot was my great ambition from childhood. When I was playing with my friends, every time I was trying to be a pilot, making my hands look like wings. When I saw “Top Gun,” I was always trying to be cool like him. When we were wearing our flight suits, we have to fold our collars down to look more formal, but I was always leaving it up to look like Tom Cruise.

I just finished high school when my friend called and said he need my help. Because he knows my English is good, he needs my help for a test to get into the Air Force University. It was first time I heard of Air Force University. He said, “If you get in, they will send you to U.S. or European countries to become a pilot.” As soon as he said “pilot,” a current ran through my body.

I went to take the test and scored enough to get into Air Force University. Before we graduated, the U.S. advisors came to give an English test. When we did the test, I scored high enough to go to U.S. and learn to fly. I learned at Fort Rucker Aviation Flight School in Alabama. 

After three months training, four of us graduated as the first Afghan Black Hawk pilots. Our graduation ceremony was a very good one in Fort Rucker Aviation Museum. There were many U.S. high rankers there — even one of the colonels who spent so much time in Afghanistan. I also received the late John McCain letter of commendation. I was very proud to have that. After, we came back to Afghanistan.

I went to Kandahar Airfield for MQT (mission qualification training). We had U.S. advisors for the training. After mission qualification training, mostly every pilot become a co-pilot. They have to fly 300 hours in mission and then become flight commander. But after graduation, I was directly an aircraft commander for Black Hawk. I served 28 provinces out from 34 provinces.

I was feeling proud because I was serving my country. I was Captain. I was also nominated for special promotion for a major rank. If Afghan government would not collapse, I would become a U.S. 60 Black Hawk Squadron Commander in Northern Afghanistan.

My last flight in Kabul.

We had a night flight on August 13, 2021. Most of the provinces were already collapsed and Taliban took the control. The government prepare special force crew to go to Logar. We flew in the midnight and dropped those people in Logar. We get back around 2:30 in the morning. Early next morning, we found out they all surrendered to Taliban. That was the last flight I did. 

When Taliban get control of the country, they were searching for pilots, intelligence officers and every single person who was working in the military. Everyone was scared. I was not living in my house. I was trying to hide in different locations.

One night, I was in my uncle’s house. It was almost midnight, and my sister called me very scared, saying, “Don’t come to the house. There are people standing in front of our house, screaming your name.” My mother was also scared. I could hear her voice telling my sister, “Tell Shahpur, please if someone get to your uncle’s house, just run from there. Run somewhere that even we don’t know.” I was so scared. I couldn’t fall asleep until the morning. Everything was getting worse, second by second. I was asking my U.S. advisors and friends to get us out. Finally, we found a way to get in the airport and get out of the country.

I still want to fly. 

When I came to U.S., I was searching for a job. A friend of mine knew about Upwardly Global. He said that “lots of pilots connect with Upwardly Global and they help them to find a job where they’re flying now. Maybe that will happen to you too.”

Upwardly Global helped me get my current job. I am working as a Flight Line Technician in an airport with a good company. I am providing services for aircrafts, like fueling, transportation services, towing aircraft from one place to another, and some customer services.

Upwardly Global just told me about another training that they can help me with for a FAA certificate to become a flight dispatcher. This is also very interesting to me. I could work with an airliner, oversee flight safety and control. They told me that opportunity is there to be recruited to another job, bigger job from flight dispatcher. Maybe even as an airline pilot too!

Because this is what I am made for. This is what I’m born for. I want to fly again.

Read and listen to more of Shahpur’s and other Afghan stories here.

The post Meet Shahpur, a Trained Pilot and Upwardly Global Alum from Afghanistan appeared first on Upwardly Global.

“Inspiring,” “motivating,” and “energizing” — all characterize Upwardly Global volunteers’ takeaways after forming deep connections with alumni. Meanwhile, almost every alum thanked the volunteers for being crucial to their success.

Upwardly Global’s volunteer-run Leadership Councils (LCs) champion the work, raise funds, and introduce employers to a rich network of qualified immigrants and refugees. These LCs are key support networks for newcomers entering the U.S. labor market, and it was my pleasure to work with this community of volunteers and newcomers last spring. At the end of the engagement, it was so heartwarming to receive messages of gratitude from volunteers who’d given us their time.

Volunteering — it’s a powerful tool that brings together communities, strengthens our social fabric, and contributes to developing national identity. According to the National Conference on Citizenship, 1 in 4 Americans (62.8 million adults) volunteer their time, energy, and talents through organizations, and 3 in 5 Americans help their neighbors. The time and labor that volunteers contribute is valued at an estimated $184 billion. While that’s a lot of money, the value of community and community-building is invaluable and has ripple effects throughout the country and the economy.

To date, Upwardly Global — through its staff and volunteers — has supported more than 8,500 immigrants, refugees, and asylees to enter commensurate employment. This is in addition to adding over $400 million to the American economy annually and boosting immigrant incomes. This work touches and transforms the lives of newcomers, their families, and their communities across this country.

At a time when it seems like our society is more divided than ever, volunteering reminds us of how connected we all are. During a global pandemic, Americans still chose service above themselves and decided to take time to support their neighbors, both old and new. The value of volunteering goes both ways — volunteers gain immeasurable perspective into global challenges and are able to tackle the growing income divide in practical and personal ways and those that receive the services often return to be volunteers themselves.

Volunteers also develop valuable transferable skills (for example, Upwardly Global LC members participate in professional networking, governance of their councils, and a host of other professional skill-building activities).  Oftentimes, volunteers share that they feel they gained much more than the people they help. The relationships formed, the exposure to different cultures and journeys, and witnessing the impact of their support have an immense positive impact on volunteers. 

Newcomers are more educated than at any other time in American history, with over 45% of recently arrived immigrants possessing at least a bachelor’s degree. However, 2 million immigrants and refugees who have degrees and professional work experience face systemic barriers that leave them under- or unemployed. Upwardly Global plays an important role in helping these newcomers enter and thrive in the labor market to meaningfully contribute to the economy and our society, and to support their families.

Without a strong network of volunteers, Upwardly Global wouldn’t be able to carry out the work they do on this scale. One volunteer called alumni and newcomers the “heart and soul of the Upwardly Global community,” but it really struck me that it is both the volunteers and the newcomers that form the lifeblood of this organization.

This November, Upwardly Global will be conducting a round of alumni outreach through the volunteer Leadership Councils across the country. Through this outreach, they will contact people who have benefited from the organization’s services to learn about the impact of Upwardly Global, to hear the inspiring journeys of those that have pursued the American dream, and to recruit more LC volunteers or contribute their skills and time in different ways.

If you’d like to be involved, join Upwardly Global at the free Community Gala on October 26, which brings our whole community together. If you are interested in learning more about Upwardly Global, their Leadership Councils, and how to volunteer, you can email Rebecca Neuwirth at rebeccan@upwardlyglobal.org.

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About Chiedza Pasipanodya

Chiedza Pasipanodya is a workforce development professional with expertise in immigrant and refugee inclusion, retention, and career advancement, working through an inclusion and anti-oppression lens.

The post Volunteering to Strengthen Community appeared first on Upwardly Global.

Pablo A. Cruz’s career as an engineer began in 2001. Initially starting out in construction, Cruz quickly moved on to working with a construction firm in Nicaragua on design projects. Following his tenure with this firm, Cruz was eventually hired as an entry-level structural designer, where he was given the opportunity to teach university classes in structural analysis and design courses at Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería (UNI) and Universidad Centroamericana (UCA). Though hesitant about accepting this position at the time, Cruz now reflects on this as a valuable experience that helped him shape his public speaking and organizational skills. 

Cruz came to the U.S. upon being hired by a Missouri-based company. In this position, he was tasked with designing telecom towers in Nicaragua, among other Latin American countries. After being asked to return to Nicaragua to work, Cruz decided to part ways with the company to instead remain in the U.S. with his wife and newborn baby. 

It took Cruz several years thereafter to find a professional job as an engineer. While working a low-paying survival job as an assistant to a property surveyor, he came across Upwardly Global and decided to participate in one of their courses. Within one year, Cruz’s career searching journey came to a close upon landing his first major interview. 

As Cruz reflected on his journey transitioning into the U.S. workforce, he realized the fierce challenges that came with a lack of information for immigrant job seekers in his field. Cruz decided to write a book aimed to support skilled immigrant engineer job seekers who may be struggling with the same challenges that he had faced when coming to the U.S.

Cruz’s book is a short and easy read. His message is streamlined through a simple and clear writing style. Moreover, he spends an adequate amount of time thoroughly explaining any terms that he anticipates are unfamiliar for his target audience. The book is also strikingly versatile, offering a variety of types of advice for the different situations a reader might find themselves in. In the section “Identify Where You Currently Are,” Cruz offers three scenarios that might describe the reader’s starting point. For example, their engineering degree might be from a university accredited by ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology), which means that their education and skill might have more immediate recognition in the U.S. than those engineers who studied at unaccredited universities. 

Cruz also includes success stories of different kinds of immigrants that have found jobs as engineers in the U.S. He does a great job of making these stories feel real and close to the reader. He seeks to make his information as practical as possible. In the section “Useful Resources,” he compiles a unique and tailored list of relevant organizations and companies for engineer job seekers. 

Overall, the book is a great read and strongly recommended for skilled immigrants looking to pursue careers in engineering in the U.S. No matter the background or situation the reader is in, Cruz’s  stories help to instill hope for a brighter future. 

Purchase Pablo’s book here: https://www.amazon.com/Working-Engineer-USA-Ultimate-engineer-ebook/dp/B0B3CV37CR

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Written By Chaemin Lim, an intern at Upwardly Global. 

The post Upwardly Global Alum Pablo Cruz Publishes Book on Experience as an Engineer in the U.S. appeared first on Upwardly Global.

“Upwardly Global helped me to feel a sense of community and belonging. I saw that others have walked this path, putting their best foot forward to get what they deserve.”

Adebola trained as a medical doctor in Nigeria, but after a few years of clinical practice she decided to focus her career in public health.

“In the course of practice I realized that a number of the diseases I was seeing in the pediatric department where I was working – these cases were preventable and really occurred as a result of the lack of adequate knowledge on the part of the caregiver,” she said. “I wanted to prevent diseases rather than just treat them.”

Adebola was especially aware of the equity gap in healthcare which meant people in areas with less access to basic health knowledge and vaccines were more susceptible to illness. “We can do something about this,” she thought.

Before immigrating to the United States Adebola was working for the United Nations in Nigeria as a Child Health Specialist, developing governmental guidelines that incorporated global advancements in science and public health strategy. She was doing well and lived a comfortable life with her husband, who was working as a practicing physician. But she said she soon had a “defining moment” and then an unexpected opportunity arose.

She, her husband, and two pre-teen sons were not thinking about a move when they were selected to receive a Green Card to come to the U.S. They had applied many years earlier and had moved on with their lives, but when the opportunity arose, Adebola thought of giving her children access to greater oppotunities. When granted the chance to provide her sons with a greater sense of security and a better education, she decided to take it. Their plan was to emigrate to the United States and continue on with their careers, but it wasn’t as easy as she had thought it would be. Adebola found herself applying for job after job, doing so many interviews, getting to the final stages, and waiting for an offer that never came.

“It was draining and frustrating,” she shared. “I knew there was no turning back. It was sink or swim, and I just had to hold on and be hopeful.”

There were moments when Adebola saw herself as a terrible cliché; a highly-skilled immigrant forced to work in low-skill, low-wage employment. In those moments she worried she might never get back to her career. She feels fortunate to have connected with Upwardly Global through a referral from a friend. Through Upwardly Global she was assigned a career coach who provided targeted advice about how to navigate the U.S. employment system and introduced her to professionals working in her field. But more than anything, Upwardly Global helped her to understand that she was not alone.

“Upwardly Global helped me to feel a sense of community and belonging. I saw that others have walked this path, putting their best foot forward to get what they deserve.”

Connecting with other immigrants who had found professional success in the U.S. gave her the confidence to believe she would pull through too, and she did.

Adebola’s last role at the U.N. was an executive-level position. While she didn’t want to settle for less, she did take a few more junior roles to build her U.S. experience. Eventually, she was hired by the Illinois Department of Public Health as the division chief for contract tracing for the State of Illinois. Now she pulls from her vast public health experience in Nigeria to envision how the state might improve upon and leverage the structures built during the Covid-19 pandemic for a broader health systems approach to disease control and prevention.

Adebola’s story carries a powerful message about the benefits of integrating foreign trained medical professionals into our workforce, and also, what is at stake when these talented individuals do not have accessible on-ramps to contribute their skills and expertise.

Adebola’s sons, age 13 and 11, adapted to the U.S. even more quickly than their parents. They have settled in to school and life in America and are doing well. As for her husband, he is in the process of getting his license to practice medicine in the U.S. They have been married for eighteen years this December.

“Over the years, we have learned that life swings and what is important is to support one another,” she said. “From here on out, our faith tells us the sky is our limit.”

The post Adebola appeared first on Upwardly Global.

For Taciana, the information comes out casually during the first part of any interview. She is careful not to delay it. She knows when talking to employers she must be smart and engaging and market herself well.

And she is mentally prepared for whatever outcome when telling potential employers about her family: She has been married to her wife, Fernanda, for seven years and lives near her adult children in New York. Coming out to friends, family, and potential employers is something Taciana said was a learned behavior.

“There was a lot of anxiety … It’s a completely different ballgame when you immigrate to a new country,” Taciana says. “You don’t fully comprehend the business culture, how people interact. Each country has its own rules about engagement. We were kind of afraid of that.”

Taciana, 53, and her wife immigrated to the U.S. from Brazil in 2015, first settling in California before moving to New York in September 2021. For the couple, the move was the culmination of years-long stints back and forth between the two countries. Taciana previously lived in the U.S. while pursuing her degree specialization in business administration at California State University, East Bay, and again with her now ex-husband, with whom she had twins — a boy and a girl she named Pedro and Mariana.

Taciana and her husband always appreciated and valued experiences with other cultures. They knew early on that their transient lifestyle wouldn’t be easy for their children, but they were also confident that experiences with other communities and cultures would ensure that they grew up respectful, open-minded, and tolerant.

“When my kids were fifteen years old,” Taciana says, “I said to them, ‘You know, I think now is a good time for you to leave the nest and have new experiences outside of Brazil.’” After the children completed primary and middle school in Brazil, the family moved to Montréal and enrolled the twins in a Canadian high school before eventually returning to California.

But her life soon drastically changed. Divorced from her husband and separated from her children, who remained in the U.S., Taciana returned to Brazil to work at a law firm. It was there that she met Fernanda, a coworker with whom she shared many interests. Until this point, Taciana had never been publicly out of the closet or addressed her romantic interest in women with friends and family, much less with her colleagues. But as they became closer, Taciana realized that Fernanda shared her feelings, and they began seeing each other romantically in secret.

“When I met my wife at our workplace, neither of us was open, neither of us was out. That, of course, as you can imagine, added a lot of pressure,” Taciana explains. “There were issues around the workplace; you never knew how people would react.”

After falling in love with Fernanda, Taciana was faced with a decision: remain in Brazil and continue hiding their relationship, or move as a pair to the United States, where they could be closer to her children and finally share their love in the open. But that meant coming out to her two grown children, with whom she had never previously discussed her sexuality.

“I had to have a good conversation and prepare the environment [for them] so that they could understand, you know, first and foremost that I was happy, which is the most important thing that you can have — happiness, no matter who the person beside you is,” Taciana says. “Also, my family, my parents, come from another generation. So I also had to think, OK, how am I going to present that?”

Not long after arriving in the U.S. and coming out to her family in 2015, Taciana and Fernanda married. “We were living here, and in 2015 the U.S. Supreme Court made [gay marriage] the law of the land. We decided to marry here, kind of to celebrate what it meant for us.”

But once the sound of wedding bells faded, the couple soon faced another hurdle: finding professional jobs in the United States. When Taciana and Fernanda relocated to New York, they were pleasantly surprised with how easy it seemed to find work. However, many of the jobs that were available did not align with their education levels or skill sets.

“We would spend all day long searching online, trying to contact people,” Taciana says. “But when we found Upwardly Global, they certainly helped us a lot. Working with a job coach was super informative, but also put us at ease. To have a personal mentorship was key, because you had someone who could certainly empathize, so you felt less alone. They knew how I felt; they knew my fears and anxieties, and what was going through my mind. This was important, to simply have someone who knew what I was going through.”

Taciana and Fernanda both found jobs within three or four months of working with Upwardly Global.

“There was a moment for both of us, actually, where we were fortunate enough to have two or three offers on the table from companies that were really interested [in hiring us],” says Taciana. “That was surprising, because when you are going to a new country, immigrating, it’s funny, because you feel relieved just to be there — ‘I reached my goal to be here.’ But at the same time, there are so many questions in your mind. It’s a bittersweet moment, because you are ready to celebrate, but you also know you have so much farther to go in your journey.”

Now working as the Marketing and Communications Manager at Accenture, primarily with its Corporate Citizenship Program, Taciana is proud to be able to lift up the stories of other immigrants like herself.

“We should absolutely strive to bring down all the barriers and prejudices and stereotypes that affect all minorities, or those who are perceived as minorities — so that goes for LGBTQ people, refugees, and women,” she says.

“My main goal is to keep trying to make a difference in somebody’s life, [whether] personally or professionally. I’m still new to this country, so I am still meeting new people, making new friends, and trying to learn how to be a part of this community. I will always learn something and, humbly, I believe that I can teach something: about my country, about my culture. That’s what makes life rich!”

Taciana Mello spoke at Upwardly Global’s recent public board meeting, and provides guidance for LGBTQ jobseekers in the workplace.

The post Taciana Lives as Her True Self With New Beginning In the U.S. appeared first on Upwardly Global.

In honor of Mother’s Day, Upwardly Global is showcasing amazing working women and caregivers from Vietnam, Ukraine, and South Sudan who overcame extraordinary barriers to restart their careers in jobs that align with their educational backgrounds, passions, and skill sets.

Read their stories below and please consider donating in honor of a mother in your life. The funds we raise will support nearly 1,000 women, giving them access to coaching and career training, upskilling, mentorship, and networking opportunities.

Au’s Story

Au Nguyen’s mother was raised in a small town in Vietnam and loved learning new things, but her school was bombed in the turmoil of the Vietnam War. At the age of 10, she left home in search of safety in a town she had to walk to several miles away. While there, she was given the chance to work as a nanny for an American officer’s family and was able to continue her schooling in safety.

Throughout her life, Au’s mother was aware of the patriarchal assumptions that her society held about women. When she had her daughters, she knew she wanted them to grow up to be independent women and named them both after birds, hoping it would ensure their freedom.

Her mother’s example and her hopes for her daughters gave Au the confidence to move to the United States. But when she arrived, she and her husband found themselves alone in a new country with dwindling funds. With no support system, no income, and pregnant with her son, Au was unsure where to turn.

With the help of Upwardly Global, Au was hired in her first professional job in the United States. “The ability to work and grow in my career has been a source of strength, and helped me meet challenges ever since then,” Au says. “When you support UpGlo, you all are creating the same hope for lots of other immigrant women and mothers. I am now so pleased to serve on the Board and give back!”

Au is now the proud mother of a four-year-old son and calls being his mom “an endless joy.” She credits Upwardly Global with improving her abilities as a mother and a professional, saying, “For me, they’re interconnected. They require resilience, solution-seeking, and innovation — all transferable skills.”

Watch Au’s story here.

Olena’s Story: 

Olena Ostasheva was born and raised in Ukraine and came to the United States just 9 years ago, with most of her friends and family still in her home country. Growing up, Olena strongly valued education. Her mother, an art historian, “instilled in me an appreciation for continuous learning,” she says. “Mother’s Day is special for me, because it’s a day I remember how my mom has shaped the woman that I am, and the life that I get to live today. Ten years ago, she inspired me to leave our home in Ukraine in order to pursue higher education and a career here in the States. While initially, I was terrified of the unknown, I am proud to have advanced in my career in one of the most influential countries in the world, thanks to her. And now, I give back.”

Olena is a longtime volunteer with Upwardly Global and recently joined the Leadership Council. As an immigrant herself, Olena was fiercely dedicated to Upwardly Global’s mission of finding jobs that appropriately match the education and skills that newcomers bring to this country. But she never imagined that our work with Ukrainian refugees would affect her so personally. It wasn’t until the war broke out in her home country that she was faced with the enormous task of helping her mother, Nataliya, evacuate to safety in the U.S.

Olena and her mother are now resettled safely, but many of their friends and family are either fighting to protect her country or fleeing Ukraine (often with their children) to find safety. While neighboring countries have been welcoming, her loved ones know that even under the best intentions, this welcome may not last. This is why, despite juggling the concerns of their children, family, and fear, these displaced people (mostly women, 60% of whom are college educated) are hoping to find work soon.

As the United States accepts up to 100,000 refugees from Ukraine, countless women and mothers will need support with regaining their self-sufficiency and obtaining economic mobility and inclusion in their new country. Securing a job that aligns with their skillset is crucial. Upwardly Global has helped over 750 refugees from Ukraine find jobs that align with their credentials to date and continues to place more immigrants and refugees in new jobs every day.

Ivana’s Story:

Ivana Mousa was confident in her career in her home country of Sudan, working for 15 years as a radio news anchor reporting on gender inequality. The job was dangerous, but she pursued it because of her passion for capturing and elevating powerful stories. Through her work, she became an inspiration to other mothers and young women who saw themselves in her, strong and resilient.

When Ivana arrived in the United States alone and pregnant with her second child, she found it nearly impossible to find a job that aligned with her passion. After escaping the unrest in South Sudan, Ivana tried to restart her career in journalism in New York. “I was hopeful because I was in the land of freedom, equality, and opportunity,” says Ivana. “But getting a foothold in the industry was difficult. Without a support system, finding a job I was passionate about proved impossible. I was alone with my young son, pregnant with my second, navigating a pandemic and battling the feelings of displacement.”

Since working with Upwardly Global, Ivana has landed a job as a case manager, helping women and girls in New York City. “This community, every donor, volunteer, partner, and supporter, helped make it possible for me to secure my first professional job in the U.S.,” Ivana says. “In my new role, I now get to pass on the hope that you all have given me, and invest that into other women here in my new city. I can’t tell you how grateful and excited I am to use my skills, experiences, and empathy to help others. This is more than just a job. It’s an opportunity for me to provide for my family and give back to my community — thank you for helping me to get here.”
Watch Ivana’s story here.

What does Mother’s Day mean to you?

Share your story using #HonoringOurMothers and watch for more Mother’s Day stories on our Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.

The post Mother’s Day: Honoring Our Mothers appeared first on Upwardly Global.

“One time,” she told Upwardy Global recently, “we got into the bus to go to practice and a bomb went off.” It narrowly missed them. Though her mother was worried about her safety, she supported her desire to stay on the team. “I’m very thankful that my mother never stopped me from playing,” she said.

With her parents’ encouragement, Kawser continued to pursue her education. As a student at the American University of Afghanistan, she formed a women’s leadership club, a soccer club, and a badminton club. In 2016, her education there was disrupted by a terrorist attack on campus that resulted in the deaths of several students and faculty members, and a rash of threats from the Taliban to target students off campus.  Kawser took time off from her studies to stay safe for the sake of her one-year-old daughter. Eventually, she continued her studies online through the Indian School of Business Management and Administration, obtaining a bachelor’s degree in general management with a specialization in international relations.

In 2019, Kawser immigrated to Concord, California, with her husband, who had worked in Afghanistan as a radiographer with NATO and had Special Immigrant Visa status. She first worked as a teller at Citibank upon her arrival, but left that job when the pandemic hit and she became pregnant with her second child.

She originally intended to stay home until her children — a seven-year-old daughter and two-year-old son — were older, but “when Kabul fell, I changed my mind,” she explained. “I can’t stay in silence and see what’s happening over there.”

She began a short-term consultancy with a California-based nonprofit working on agricultural/community empowerment projects in Afghanistan and elsewhere. While there, she launched her own campaign, Stand for Afghan Women’s Education, to raise visibility about the threats facing Afghan women.

“I want to stand for women’s education in Afghanistan and women in sports.  They’ve made progress, and if we can’t protect or save those achievements, they will be destroyed.”

When the consultancy ended, Kawser reached out to Upwardly Global to help her in her job search. “I’m very thankful for Upwardly Global’s support. They were really supportive. They trained me how to write my CV and referred me to a job at the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA).” She currently works as its Northern California refugee organizer.

Kawser is grateful that she can pursue her passion of working with refugees and displaced persons here in the U.S. while continuing to speak out on behalf of Afghan women.

“I will always try to be a voice for the silent, brightness for the dark… I always remember a thought from my mother. She always says, ‘Never give up, invest your energy for positive things, first try to help yourself in order to help others,’” she said. “My mom says that the voice is the hidden weapon that every human has; when used for good, you can change the world.”

Her husband is supportive of her work, whether it be for CHIRLA, promoting its We Are All America campaign, or on behalf of the women of Afghanistan.

“He always tries to support me, tells me ‘you can do it, try your best.’ He said campaigns always have a lot of headaches, ‘Are you able to accept it?’ And I said yes, and he said, ‘Okay, then do it.’”

The post Afghan Soccer Player Forges a New Path for Immigrant Women appeared first on Upwardly Global.

Meet Seyma

Seyma, a doctor from Turkey, moved to the U.S. in 2019. She first settled in New Jersey and relocated to Palo Alto, California, in 2021 to broaden her professional network. She believed that Stanford University might provide opportunities to work in a clinical setting or to conduct medical research — experience that would be invaluable as she worked to become relicensed as a doctor in the United States.

Seyma recalled a recent networking experience with medical students from Stanford. Over coffee, the students described how easy it was to find a paid position as a research assistant. By contrast, Seyma had looked for nearly a year before she was finally able to secure a volunteer position working on brain cancer research. Seyma loves her team, and is thankful for the opportunity, but her experience underscores the many outsized challenges faced by foreign trained doctors despite their equally valid credentials and experience.

Challenges in pursuit of a healthcare career in Turkey

Seyma was well accustomed to struggle before she came to the U.S. In Turkey, she was imprisoned along with sixteen other women and their children — doctors, lawyers, and teachers who became political prisoners due to their religious affiliation. Seyma shared how each day in jail, she had limited time to go to the prison yard, a 600 square-foot lot with 25-foot high walls. She would look up at a plane in the sky and think, “One day this plane will take you to America. Never give up, Seyma.”

When Seyma finally did arrive in New York, she remembered how she wanted to hug airport security. She explained, “Maybe it is hard to understand without losing your freedom what is the meaning of freedom.”

Restarting her life and healthcare career in the U.S.

Once in the U.S., Seyma immediately started preparing for the United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE), an exam required to qualify for medical residency in the United States. The USMLE is notoriously difficult even for American medical graduates studying in their native language. For Seyma, the challenge was compounded by her situation — she was alone in the U.S. with no family, limited financial resources, and a complicated immigration process to navigate. And yet, through perseverance Seyma managed to pass her exams on her first try.

Her first years in the United States were not marked only by hardship. Seyma was inspired as she observed the hope of pluralism alive in the U.S. with all types of people living and working together in the same community. There was also love. Seyma was introduced to a family friend already here in the U.S. who had also escaped political repression in Turkey. He had resettled in California and was working as a software engineer. After meeting and falling in love, they married, and his support has been invaluable to Seyma as she has navigated the relicensing process. Seyma shared, “Whenever we face a challenge, we remind one another [that] we are free, don’t think so much.”

Working with Upwardly Global

Seyma also credits her success to the support of Upwardly Global, a nonprofit organization that helps immigrants and refugees rebuild their careers in the United States. The organization reviewed her residency application, paired her with a job coach, and prepared her for residency interviews. In addition to residency support from Upwardly Global, Seyma felt encouraged seeing Americans giving voice to the experiences and struggles of people like her, and it motivated her to continue on.

Seyma submitted applications for 270 residency programs. The applications cost her thousands of dollars, a steep price-tag for newcomers that often have little resources or support. She secured two residency interviews that she spent countless hours preparing for, conducting over ten practice interviews with friends and her Upwardly Global job coach.

Match Day success

Seyma’s choice to pursue medicine was influenced by her family who were frequent volunteers in her home country of Turkey. She remembers watching them helping people and feeling happy and fulfilled.

“I thought being a doctor meant serving people while at the same time working,” said Seyma. In the end, Seyma believes she is doing what she set out to do. This spring, she secured a residency match in internal medicine and is excited to begin her healthcare career here in the U.S. “I love this country,” said Seyma, “and I really want to be part of public service as a doctor. I’m ready to put my knowledge and energy to make people’s lives better because the United States gave me a chance to live with freedom.”

The post Turkish Doctor Gets a Residency Match and a Chance for Freedom appeared first on Upwardly Global.

“In the course of practice I realized that a number of the diseases I was seeing in the pediatric department where I was working – these cases were preventable and really occurred as a result of the lack of adequate knowledge on the part of the caregiver,” she said.  “I wanted to prevent diseases rather than just treat them.”

Adebola was especially aware of the equity gap in healthcare that meant people in areas with less access to basic health knowledge and vaccines were more susceptible to illness. “We can do something about this,” she thought.

Before immigrating to the United States Adebola was working for the United Nations in Nigeria as a Child Health Specialist, developing governmental guidelines that incorporated global advancements in science and public health strategy. She was doing well and lived a comfortable life with her husband, who was working as a practicing physician. But she said she soon had a “defining moment” and then an unexpected opportunity arose.

She, her husband and two pre-teen sons were not thinking about a move when they were selected to receive a Green Card to come to the U.S. They had applied many years earlier and had moved on with their lives, but when the opportunity arose, Adebola thought of giving her children access to greater oppotunities. When granted the chance to provide her sons with a greater sense of security and a better education, she decided to take it. Their plan was emigrate to the United States and and continue on with their careers, but it wasn’t as easy as she had thought it would be. Adebola found herself applying for job after job, doing so many interviews, getting to the final stages, and waiting for an offer that never came.

“It was draining and frustrating,” she shared. “I knew there was no turning back. It was sink or swim, and I just had to hold on and be hopeful.”

There were moments where Adebola saw herself as a terrible cliché; a highly-skilled immigrant forced to work in low-skill, low-wage employment. In those moments she worried she might never get back to her career. She feels fortunate to have connected with Upwardly Global through a referral from a friend. Through Upwardly Global she was assigned a career coach who provided targeted advice about how to navigate the U.S. employment system and introduced her to professionals working in her field. But more than anything, Upwardly Global helped her to understand that she was not alone.

“Upwardly Global helped me to feel a sense of community and belonging. I saw that others have walked this path, putting their best foot forward to get what they deserve.”

Connecting with other immigrants who had found professional success in the U.S. gave her the confidence to believe she would pull through too, and she did.

Adebola’s last role at the U.N. was an executive-level position. While she didn’t want to settle for less, she did take a few more junior roles to build her U.S. experience. Eventually, she was hired by the Illinois Department of Public Health as the division chief for contract tracing for the State of Illinois. Now she pulls from her vast public health experience in Nigeria to envision how the state might improve upon and leverage the structures built during the Covid-19 pandemic for a broader health systems approach to disease control and prevention.

Adebola’s story carries a powerful message about the benefits of integrating foreign trained medical professionals into our workforce, and also, what is at stake when these talented individuals do not have accessible on-ramps to contribute their skills and expertise.

Adebola’s sons, age 13 and 11, adapted to the U.S. even more quickly than their parents. They have settled in to school and life in America and are doing well. As for her husband, he is in the process of getting his license to practice medicine in the U.S. They have been married for eighteen years this December.

“Over the years, we have learned that life swings and what is important is to support one another,” she said. “From here on out, our faith tells us the sky is our limit.”

The post Foreign Trained MD Brings Global Perspective to the Fight Against Covid-19 in Illinois appeared first on Upwardly Global.

“You could get a job like that,” he said, snapping his fingers.

He worked in warehousing and then as an Uber driver, but establishing a professional career proved much more challenging. Despite shortages in healthcare workers and the significant need for bilingual nurses, Jawad faced a long and complicated path to relicensing in the U.S. The process requires foreign trained nurses to pass a difficult English proficiency exam.

Jawad reflects, “Immigrants don’t know how high the expectation is and when they fail, they become discouraged. They have lost time. They become overwhelmed. They just stop.”

English proficiency is just the first hurdle on the path to relicensing. Next, immigrants must have their foreign credentials evaluated through an accredited U.S. evaluator and pass the U.S. board exams, often years after completing their original studies.

“The exams should be hard,” Jawad agrees, but he also feels the lack of guidance is harmful to both immigrants and the broader healthcare system, which is missing out on an opportunity to optimize much needed talent.

The agencies who handle licensing are overwhelmed and unresponsive, creating a bottleneck for immigrants like Jawad who feel they have no other option but to wait for the information and help they require.

Jawad recalls, “I met a lot of nurses from Central America, Africa, and Europe who became frustrated and gave up.” Jawad was trying to figure out his next move and considering going back to school when someone at a local college gave him Upwardly Global’s contact information.

“To be honest,” said Jawad,” I couldn’t do it on my own, it was too complicated.”

Upwardly Global provided Jawad with clear information, contacts, and the support he needed to cross the finish line. In particular, he credits his career coach Tamar with connecting him to an instructor that teaches the board exam for foreigners. Through this contact he had unique access to detailed technical advice throughout his application process, ensuring small, common mistakes did not derail him from reaching his goal.

Today Jawad works as an ICU nurse at a leading Chicago hospital and hopes to one day work in anesthesiology. For his current employer, his license couldn’t have come soon enough. During the pandemic, there was one point when a floor of the hospital was facing a shortage of over twenty nurses. Jawad offers valuable insight into how we might better optimize foreign talent like him to meet this demand. He suggests preparing immigrants with more detailed information that will set them up for success or allowing immigrants to opt out of the English exam if they pass a high-level college ESL course. In general, he says foreign trained nurses need more guidance about where to start and where to focus. While the lack of navigational support is a barrier, Jawad still sees immense value in the U.S. system, which he still says “puts freedom above all else.”

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After training for 10 years to be a physician and a recent fellowship in infectious disease, she was practicing medicine as a pediatrician in the capitol of Venezuela, Caracas. But stability in her native country eroded and more than 5 million Venezuelans were forced to flee due to political upheaval, violence, food insecurity, and lack of medical care.

When Adriana understood that it was no longer possible to continue living her dream of helping patients in Venezuela, she and her husband took an incredible risk, leaving it all behind at the age of 34 to pursue a new dream of practicing medicine in the United States.

For Adriana improving her English language skills was a top priority after moving to the U.S., so much so that she relocated from the heavily bilingual community of Miami to Chicago where she would be forced to develop her fluency. In Chicago, a friend told her about English classes at Harry S. Truman College and she enrolled. For many immigrants like Adriana, the skills and experience they bring are invisible to the world around them. Without English proficiency, immigrants face greater challenges in finding professional and skilled careers due to negative biases and assumptions. But one day in her English class an instructor asked Adriana what she did in Venezuela and when she shared her professional background the instructor knew exactly who to ask for help. She referred Adriana to Upwardly Global.

Upwardly Global is the first and longest serving organization in the United States working to help immigrants to re-integrate into professional life. Since 2002 Upwardly Global has helped over 8,000 newcomers to navigate cultural differences, systemic challenges, and complex licensing requirements, to rebuild their careers and lives in America. Adriana’s goal was always to continue to be a doctor, but this required her to become relicensed to practice in the U.S.

“There is a lot of information about relicensing, but it is hard to understand what you need to do. You have to be methodical and plan and organize,” she said.

Indeed, the process is long and expensive. The need to work in order to secure the funds to complete this rigorous process while preparing for difficult exams only compounded Adriana’s challenge. Upwardly Global provided Adriana with support as she navigated this process, and she also credits the support of her husband.

“Mentally, you need somebody,” she said.

Adriana’s husband, who is an Orthopedist, was uniquely situated to understand a process that for most is difficult, isolating, and incredibly discouraging. Fortunately, with support, Adriana was successful, but limited residency spots meant she had to accept a position outside of Illinois. This past summer, she secured a pediatric residency in Florida, just as the state saw a record spike of Covid-19 cases in August. Suddenly, Adriana found herself at ground zero in the fight against Coronavirus.

“I am so grateful to be here,” she said, about to her ability to contribute to the fight against the pandemic.

She has seen staffing shortages. The facility she works at experienced a bottleneck in the system that limited the supply of licensed physicians, but her hospital also struggles with a shortage in support staff like nurses and phlebotomists; a struggle that has only been exacerbated by the pandemic and continues to grow across the U.S. By 2033, the U.S. expects a shortage of nearly 150,000 physicians in hospitals across the country, according to New American Economy.

Beyond the overarching talent shortage, our country has struggled to bridge the care divide for Black and Brown patients, and for those for which English is a second language. The evidence of this gap in care has acted as an awakening as this pandemic has torn through Black and Latinx communities. Adriana is one of few Spanish speaking residents at her hospital.

“I try to translate for Spanish speakers,” she said, “because I know what it means to be in the hospital with something concerning when language is a barrier. When you say ‘hola’ you can see the relief for patients.”

The attendants are also so happy to utilize her bilingual skills, “they say, you speak Spanish, right? Oh, thank goodness!”

Adriana is continuing to support her husband while he seeks to secure his own residency, which could mean a long-distance relationship for a time, but this prospect isn’t slowing either of them down. After residency Adriana plans to pursue a fellowship in infectious diseases, which she expects to take 2 – 3 years.

“Sometimes it is hard work, I am not going to lie. Sometimes it is long hours, a lot of work, and very stressful,” but she loves working with children who are “so happy, sometimes even when they are sick. I worked hard to get here, and I am not going to complain.”

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