Arslan couldn’t speak a word of English the first time he saw the Atlanta skyline—arriving into Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport with his parents and sister—but he didn’t let that get in the way of his dreams. Just three years later, the 21-year-old has commenced his dream career in IT, and his English skills—fluent.
Arslan has thrived since arriving in Atlanta just three short years ago.
Photo: Usman Ahmed Abid
Arslan and his family were welcomed to America through the refugee resettlement program in July 2015 after being forced to flee their home in Pakistan. Resettled by Catholic Charities Atlanta, Arslan quickly began attending English classes at the IRC and watched American movies every night at home to reinforce the language skills he was learning in class. He soon secured his first job sorting donations at Goodwill and continued to study English.
Less than a year after he arrived, Arslan’s English teacher referred him to the IRC in Atlanta’s career development program as he was interested in using his existing knowledge and passion for IT to forge a career for himself in his new home. Long-term career development volunteer, Paul Parisi, supported him to apply for the Year Up program—a one-year, intensive training program that provides young adults with a combination of hands-on skills development, coursework and corporate internships.
The first six months of the program focused on professional learning and development and Arslan studied IT, business writing and software programming, and was required to wear a suit every day. During the latter half of the program he secured an internship with The Weather Channel and continued to work and expand his experience.
One year on, Arslan now works as a performance engineer at Cox Automotive, specializing in performance testing and cybersecurity. He works 50-60 hours per week, has health benefits and makes more than $40 per hour—all at just 21 years old.
“One thing in Year Up that kept me motivated was that we always said ‘work hard and have fun.’ Hard work really pays off. Never be afraid to ask for help,” Arslan said. “The worst thing that can happen is they say no, but if they say yes then it could change your life.”
Arslan certainly experienced that life change. Though he faced uncertainty, a brand new environment and no experience with English, he has reached the culmination of his hard work, and it truly has paid off.
To learn more about the work of the IRC in Atlanta and for information on how you can get involved with the IRC as a donor or volunteer, please contact Senior Development Manager, Kalie Lasiter, at Kalie.Lasiter [at] Rescue.org or 678-636-8941.
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