Page 17 - Our Hands SPRING 2019

NEW AMERICANS

Refugee Client Reaches Goals in

Engineering Career

fter a long journey, Inas Naser said she was feeling barriers to help her reach her employment goals.
a sense of comfort as she returned to her career
Apathway of civil engineering. She started her new Naser’s Case Manager at Samaritas helped her connect
position in February 2019 as Project Supervisor with the with a job at Tim Hortons near her home, which
Department of Public Service Engineering Division in provided a flexible schedule and easy transportion access.
Wayne County. Naser was serving as a civil engineer for Samaritas supported her to gain her driver’s license, as
more than 14 years in Iraq, when this work was abruptly well as recertification of her diploma in June 2018. This
interrupted in 2012. recertification opened up opportunities and her Case
Manager assisted Naser in applying for a 3-month project
“In 2012, people kidnapped my husband,” Naser said. with Coop Engineering with Wayne County. With
“I lived in fear from that day on. We paid a large sum of this experience, and orientation on job searching and
money to get my husband back from his captors. Less than interviewing provided by Samaritas, she was offered the
a week later, he had a heart attack because of the trauma new job as Project Supervisor, her current position. Naser
and stress he experienced. After his death, my father and said she is so happy to be working again in her field of
brother moved into my home to help me cope with the engineering and to have reached this goal.
loss of my husband and protect my children. However, I
still did not feel safe. I applied for refugee She has more goals, though, to continuously
status through the US Army, using my "I am so thankful for develop professionally. She reaches out
brothers’ connections.” to her Case Manager with occasional
the help I’ve received questions about workplace etiquette and
After waiting years, her family was at Samaritas ... I think formal, professional English vocabulary
approved to come to the United States, to use in workplace settings. She is now
resettling in Michigan through Samaritas things will continue to attending Oakland Community College
on June 21, 2017. Naser said Samaritas get better for my family and studying project design in the School
assisted her with housing, social security and I am excited about of Engineering and Computer Science. She
paperwork, accessing health care, has outlined clear steps to keep growing:
obtaining a driver’s license, school our future.” pass her Fundamentals of Engineering
enrollments, cultural orientation and her exam, complete four years of Progressive
Green Card application. Engineering, pass the Principles and Practice
of Engineering exam and receive her license.
She wanted to continue her career as an engineer, but
experienced barriers upon entering America. First, she “I am so thankful for the support of my family and the
was a single mother and responsible for getting her three help I’ve received at Samaritas - from Zaid, Nasma and
children to and from school each day and therefore sought Raeed,” Naser said. “I think things will continue to get
a job with a flexible schedule. Second, she had a challenge better for my family and I am excited about our future in
with transportation since she did not have a driver’s license the United States.”
or car and needed employment options near her home.
Third, she was learning English, but she was not yet fluent For more information about how you can help New
to understand all the aspects of certain jobs. With her Americans with mentoring, transportation assistance,
skills and determination, paired with resources offered job and housing opportunities and other benefits, please
by Samaritas, they worked hand in hand to address these contact Jessica Arvan at jarva@samaritas.org

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