For International Women’s Day this Sunday, we honor the many refugee women who live in Colorado, including Fatemeh, an inspiring young woman who is about to return to the medical field after having to flee her native Afghanistan in 2016.
Following high school in Afghanistan, Fatemeh trained in alternative medicine and worked as a midwife. But in 2016, she and her family were forced to flee Afghanistan and were resettled in Colorado.
Upon arrival, Fatemeh was referred by her resettlement agency to English classes at Emily Griffith Technical College in Denver. She was a dedicated and diligent English student and studied for a year and a half. She was determined to return to the medical field and, with the help of Colorado's CAREERS program (a partnership between the Colorado Department of Human Services and local partners), eventually enrolled in Emily Griffith’s medical assisting program.
While she faced academic and personal challenges, Fatemeh demonstrated a strong commitment to her education and persevered in order to reach her goal of completing the program. Fatemeh is a graduate of the medical assisting program and was recently offered a job as a medical assistant.
When reflecting on returning to the medical field, Fatemeh said, “When I first got here, I didn’t think it was possible. But now that I have finished my program and I am about to begin working, it is exciting and unbelievable. I am thankful for the opportunity to learn English and go to college for medical assisting and find my dream job.”