Nearly two and half years after President Obama’s Executive Action offering the opportunity for minors from Central America to access the refugee resettlement program, Hilda Galvez, a Honduran native, cried joyfully as her five-year-old son, Ever, was escorted through the gate at Newark Airport near midnight on March 9, 2017.

Word spread quickly through the small Arabic-speaking community in Missoula this spring that after an almost two year wait, the IRC would be resettling a family from Iraq. Thanks to our community for stepping up to welcome them.

Originally from Cote d'Ivoire, Adama arrived in the US less than six years ago. He attended the Refugee Youth Summer Academy (RYSA) and then enrolled into 9th grade at Brooklyn International High School. He and his mom participated in the Academic Coaching program, and a few years later, Adama became a "Leader in Training" - including working as a Peer Mentor at RYSA in 2014 and 2015. Meanwhile, he honed his artistry. When he graduated high school in 2015, he enrolled at the Borough of Manhattan Community College studying liberal arts, playing soccer, and painting. 

The IRC Dallas is seeking exceptional students ready to gain hands-on experience in refugee resettlement.