Amadou arrived in the United States in September 2023 from Guinea Conakry. In his home country, he studied Information Technology. However, in 2021 there was a political coup leading to great instability in many aspects of life. Amadou came to the U.S. in hopes of greater opportunities and says, “When I first arrived I was so happy to see that yes, there are many opportunities to study and work… [but] in spite of the image I had before, life here is also difficult in a different way.” He is currently living with a few people from Ethiopia, Guinea and Sierra Leone and feels that all his energy is focused on finding jobs to pay his new bills. Amadou speaks French and Pular, so learning English through CASA’s Workforce ESOL classes has been critical to achieving financial stability. He’s been attending classes three days a week and says, “The teacher explains well and I am learning a lot. I’ve learned a bit more how to communicate with others the way you do here in the US.” He has also begun to understand how American society is organized such as the regulations for renting and tenants’ rights. At the same time Amadou is improving his English skills, he is also attending the computer course at CASA’s Pine Ridge Community Center. His goal is to continue improving his English so that he can continue to study IT here at the university level and eventually secure a career in the field. Due to his strong class attendance, it won’t be long before Amadou is able to join CASA’s Life Skills ESOL Program on scholarship and accelerate his language acquisition.