2U Inc.
10/11/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/11/2024 13:35
With an Online Master’s Degree from Syracuse, This Venezuelan Emigre Is Now Helping to Shape U.S. Immigration Policy
»> Parvez is one of several learners featured in our 2022 Transparency & Outcomes Report who've leveraged the power of online education to transform their lives, their communities, and our world for the better. «<
From his own experience emigrating to the U.S. from Venezuela after college, Parvez Mohsinunderstands first-hand the challenges associated with moving to a new country. Now, as a leader at a respected nonprofit that provides aid to refugees around the world, Parvez is helping others navigate that complexity and settle comfortably into their new lives in the U.S.
But working with refugees wasn't always his life goal. After 18 years in New York City, Parvez relocated to Nashville, TN, to be with his wife, who had moved there several months prior for a job. Despite serving for 13 years as a museum curator and having two master's degrees under his belt, Parvez struggled to find employment.
He finally landed a contract caseworker position for a local nonprofit that provides area refugees with services like resettlement help and continuing education courses. Parvez quickly fell in love with the organization's mission and, nine months later, found himself directing the nonprofit's communications and growth efforts.
That's when he decided to set new goals for himself: to work for the U.S. government and lead a philanthropic organization focused on helping immigrants and those displaced from their home countries adjust to their new lives.
"If I can't help the world become a better place, I don't see the point of pursuing knowledge through higher education," Parvez says.
But as he contemplated his new ambitions and began interviewing for roles that would put him on that path, he realized it would be an uphill battle.
"The master's degrees I had were not putting me in the same caliber of other candidates," Parvez recounts. "So I woke up one morning, turned to my wife, and told her, 'I'm going to go back to school.'"