Mohmad Alawite*

Mohmad was 21 years old when his family was resettled from Syria to Indianapolis, Indiana. He was the only member of his family to speak any English, and his English was very limited. He came to the United States with his parents, three sisters, and grandmother in 2016 - the last Syrian refugee family accepted into Indiana prior to Indiana’s then-governor placing a ban on Syrian refugees coming into Indiana

Mohmad and his family have overcome huge obstacles since arriving in the U.S. The three adult children - who were all in their early 20s when they arrived - all re-earned their high school diplomas after enrolling in The Excel Center. (Indiana, like most states in the U.S., often doesn’t accept educational credentials achieved in other countries.). Mohmad and his two older sisters all then went on to earn medical assistant certificates. Mohmad continued his education,earning his B.S. in nursing, graduating at the top of his class. He is now enrolled in a Master’s program for nursing with a goal of becoming a nurse practitioner.

Mohmad’s family was the first family served by the originators of From Strangers to Neighbors. He remains committed to the group and uses his first-hand immigrant experience to advise the Board as it considers appropriate vs overreach forms of support. He also offers his skills as an Arabic interpreter to the Board’s volunteers, upon occasion, as needed.

*Mohmad Alawite is a pseudonym created to protect Mohmad and his family given current immigration policies and practices. Though the family all gained U.S. citizenship in 2022, ICE is a fear for them because they have read about and seen on TV many unlawful detentions.