CRIS 30th Anniversary Story | Rhoda
When Rhoda was just eight years old, her family—mother, father, and three younger siblings—fled their home country of Eritrea and sought safety in Sudan. She recalls not really understanding the significance of or reason for their life upheaval, but she had a strong sense even at a young age that their life in Sudan was temporary. This temporary life turned into a five-year stretch of waiting for resettlement to a permanent home. After hearing that refugee processing times might be quicker in Egypt, the family uprooted once more, settling in Cairo.
Their life in Egypt was largely defined by uncertainty. “I always felt like I was waiting,” Rhoda remembers. She completed middle school, then high school in Egypt, all the while still feeling as if her future was on hold. As she neared the end of her high school career in Egypt, it became clear that her opportunities would be severely limited if they weren’t able to resettle elsewhere.
After nine more years of waiting in Egypt, her family’s case was approved for resettlement to the United States. At a refugee orientation in Egypt, Rhoda heard conflicting information about what might await her in the United States. She was over 18 and worried whether American high schools or colleges would accept her foreign credentials. Still, she held out hope.
In January of 2024, her family finally received resettlement news: they would be going to California, near cousins and extended relatives. But upon arrival in New York, their connecting flight information told a different story—Columbus, Ohio. Confused but committed to the process, they boarded the flight and landed in Central Ohio, where long-time CRIS staff members Mulugeta and Ahmed were waiting at the airport to greet them.
Once the family was settled in their new home, Mulugeta acted quickly, helping Rhoda’s parents secure jobs at a local hotel and enrolling the younger siblings in school. Rhoda attempted to begin college right away, but soon learned that her Egyptian diploma was not recognized for financial aid eligibility. Once again, her education was on pause.
But Mulugeta didn’t let the story end there. He connected Rhoda with Focus North High School. When she first inquired about enrolling in spring 2024, she was told she’d likely need to complete three full years of additional study time to earn a U.S. high school diploma. But when she returned in the fall, the school offered her the chance to set her own pace. Rhoda made a decision: she would finish as quickly as she could.
Over the next three months, she poured herself into her studies, completing an astounding 28 credits by December. With her high school credits completed (for a second time), this spring Rhoda set her mind to earning additional credentials. She completed phlebotomy certification and State Tested Nursing Assistant (STNA) training. In May 2025, shortly before her graduation ceremony, she found out she had earned the title of valedictorian. Her parents were overwhelmed with pride.
With her sights now set on a career in medicine—perhaps as a nurse or physician’s assistant—Rhoda is finally stepping into the future she once feared she might never reach.