- Immigrants Among Us: Why they come to America
- Video: Conversations about becoming and being an immigrant in New Hampshire
- Liliya Mayevsky: Her parents brought her to the U.S. to live in a country free of persecution
- Sebastian Fuentes: ‘The dream of coming to America is definitely a hard one that few people can achieve’
- Glory Wabe: Proudest of her contributions to nursing in New Hampshire
- Geshe Gendun Gyatso-Konchuck: ‘People should see a wider perspective of other countries and other people’
- Ekoue Abroussa: ‘The people who are giving education, they are the best people in New Hampshire’
- Ali Sekou: ‘If you want to change things then be the ambassador of that change’
- Snizhana Riabko: ‘We are very happy that we have been welcomed like this’
- Maria Elena Letona: ‘I’m actually very scared for the United States as a country’
- Caroline Oguda: A lot of immigrants come because they are forced by circumstances
- Kateryna Nazaroya: ‘We are very thankful for everything’
- Sarah Walker: ‘We are good people’
Country of origin: KENYA
Now living in Nashua
Originally Caroline Oguda came to the United States in 2001 to pursue a master’s degree in healthcare administration. She intended to get a degree and return to Kenya. This type of program was not available in Kenya and was only offered at four universities in the states. Initially, she began at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, which was not a good fit.
“It was so small, even the 7-Eleven was closed on Thanksgiving. I was like, nah, can’t do this,” she says.
Her next option was Rivier University in Nashua. She made New Hampshire her home without any knowledge about the state. That move worked out and she has been here ever since. When she graduated in 2004 she had long-term and acute care experience and was immediately offered a job.
Good jobs and limited prospects in her chosen field back home led her on the path of citizenship. Uganda has little or no nursing home industry and her skills are in high demand in the U.S.
She is the mother of two children, who she adopted from Kenya. In addition to working in healthcare, she became civically active to give back and be engaged with her adopted home. She became active in the Rotary Club and was a Big Sister through Nashua PAL.
She became a Naturalized Citizen in 2008 “on the same day as Big Papi” of Red Sox Fame. His was a public ceremony and hers was a Nashua Rotary Club event where she was sworn in by Federal Judge Joe Laplante
Her message to the people of New Hampshire is this:
“I can tell you, I know a lot of immigrants here. A lot of them didn’t come because they wanted to come. They are forced by circumstances. Whether it’s tribal, war, or disease, their parents came and they were forced to come, you know, because in some cultures, if you leave your parents alone, it’s a curse, you know? “