From Ghana to the US: Samuel Agyeman
Samuel Agyeman
Samuel is in his dream job, at his dream organization, is a permanent resident in the US, which means he has a coveted green card. He is working in one of the most prominent metropolitan areas in the country and is about to pursue a law degree. So how did Samuel come to be in such a good place?
Ghana
Ghana is in West Africa and shares borders with Togo, Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso. It is the first Saharan African country to gain independence. It is also prominent in global affairs and in connecting the diaspora community to Africa. Accra is the capital of Ghana. What you may not know is that this capital city is very similar to other metropolitan cities in the US like Atlanta. There are skyscrapers, busy streets with modern means of transportation and commercial business that you find in many cities. There are also historical monuments, national parks, and sprawling neighborhoods. If you love soccer, this is the ideal conversation starter to win the favor of Ghanaians. This sport is the one thing that brings the country together to either support their national team or a favorite team.
Samuel’s Beginnings
Ghana is where Samuel was born and spent the first 26 years of his life with family, going to school, getting his first degree, and working in international development at CARE. All his seniors were very intelligent and migrated elsewhere to study, therefore he planned to follow the same path as they did. Initially, he wanted to go to Germany because tuition is free for Masters’ programs. However, his uncle, who lived in Atlanta, encouraged him to migrate to the US where he didn’t have to worry about the language. In 2017, Samuel received a full scholarship to study international development and moved to Michigan.
The US Culture Shock
Winter in Michigan
Moving from the tropical climate of Ghana to the frigid temperatures of Michigan was a culture shock for Samuel. He not only had to get acclimatized to the weather, but also to the individualistic culture of the US. There is a strong communal culture in Ghana; everyone is your brother or sister. Samuel came from a very tight-knit family. Growing up, there were no distinctions like stepbrothers/sisters or even cousins. Therefore, the first two years in Michigan were very difficult for him, especially during the Christmas season when he found himself surrounded by snow and not by family. Samuel eventually formed a community with other Africans that provided a sense of community away from home.
The Successes
The high point of Samuel’s time in the US was graduating with a Masters’ degree and obtaining academic awards. Like many international students, Samuel applied for the Optional Training Program (OPT) work permit upon graduation. This permit allows international students to work for one year. However, they must find a job within the first 90 days of receiving the permit or lose the authorization to work. Samuel spent the first 40 days looking for a job, before he accepted a job as a supervisor at a half-way house that helped former prison in-mates transition back into society. It had nothing to do with what he studied, but he no longer had to worry about losing the OPT work permit and it provided him with some income. Fortunately, three months later, Samuel was able to secure an internship that was more aligned to his masters’ degree and career aspirations. He moved to Atlanta and joined Global Ministries working as a Program Intern (Grants & Compliance). That’s where we met as I was leading the Internship Program.
The Setbacks
The lowest point for Samuel was during the COVID pandemic. Samuel’s internship with Global Ministries ended. His petition for a Green Card and work permit were significantly delayed. USCIS shut down operations and he became out of status (no work authorization or visas status). To make matters worse, his drivers’ permit expired, and Georgia State wouldn’t allow him to renew it until USCIS approved his work permit. As a result, Samuel was unemployed for one year, and it took approximately 2 years before his green card was approved.
Moving by Faith
Upon approval of his work permit, Samuel moved to the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia) area; ‘the US capital of International Development’. However, Samuel moved there before securing a job. After some time of being unemployed, he began to feel desperate, and Samuel questioned his decision to move to a new city without a job. So, Samuel decided to join the US Navy and began the application process. However, while going through the navy application process he continued looking for a job in international development. Fortunately, Samuel was offered and accepted a job in international development during the navy application process. He is currently a Fundraising Manager at a well-known international development organization in the DMV area.
Lessons Learnt
Samuel is in his dream job, at his dream organization and is a permanent resident in the US. He is working in one of the most prominent metropolitan areas in the country and is about to pursue an Immigration law degree. What advice would Samuel give to you if you are considering migrating to study or maybe you’re an international student or even a recent professional to the workplace? Samuel recommends getting in touch with other immigrants to help clarify what you want to do and suggests networking early in your career. He also recommends that professional immigrants in the workplace open their network to other immigrant professionals to provide greater support. Finally, Samuel encourages you to be resilient during challenging times and the inevitable low points because things will get better.
Listen
Listen to my conversation with Samuel here.
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Network
You can connect with Samuel Agyeman on LinkedIn.
