“I attended this event to learn and make connections.”
Nasredinne Younes is a Sudanese immigrant and refugee who came to America in 2013 at the age of 13. He says Kent County’s Maximize Economic Potential Summit is a great way for people like himself to learn what employers are looking for in the often-underutilized immigrant and refugee workforce.
“Knowledge is always power. People always say, ‘It’s not about what you know; about who you know,’ so I think I’m here to do both of them.”
Younes says there are unique challenges like marketing skills at a time when immigrants and refugees fear U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement – and a slowdown in hiring.
“Especially with this market. Economy’s being very hard and job opportunities are so limited now, not like it used to be 5-10 years ago.”
Younes, who still has family in Sudan, is a board member with the American Red Cross and runs a nonprofit which supports orphans, vulnerable kids and widows there. He hopes to use the knowledge he gained at the summit to help other immigrants and refugees in both his Grand Rapids and Sudanese communities.
“I think America is the greatest country and has opportunities. People always say, ‘Okay, America is the land of dreams,’ so you have to come here to build those dreams.”
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