I know that our country has many deep-rooted problems that, in many ways, are the severest that I have seen over my 60 or so years living in America. However, to others, the “American Dream” is still a real thing which they can turn from just a dream into reality. This is the story of one of those people.

But first a little history lesson before I tell you Herman’s story. After WWII, there was a huge influx of immigrants from all over the world coming to America to start a better life. It was assumed that as long as you were willing to work hard, it didn’t matter how much money you had or the level of education you had achieved – the “American Dream” could become a reality. However, immigrating into the United States today isn’t like it was in the 1950s. We found out that it is really hard to do. Moving fast forward to today, opportunities for immigrants or any people with little means to achieve the “American dream” has become just that – an unrealistic fantasy. However, with lots of hard work, perseverance, and a little luck, for some, it can still come true.

Back in 2016, my wife, the co-founder of a not-for-profit organization, needed some web design and overall technology help. She has always been a very inclusive person and read resumes from people all over the globe without discrimination. She simply chose the one that seemed most qualified after corresponding with them, and then they could work remotely, regardless of where they lived.

One of the respondents that my wife really liked was a man named Herman, who lived in a small rural town in Uganda called Lugazi. Lugazi, Uganda? Yes, Lugazi, Uganda.

They began a dialogue on the things that she needed help with, and Herman from Uganda had all of the answers. Unbeknownst to my wife at the time, Herman had to walk outside his mother’s home and stand in the middle of a dirt road to make the high speed connection reception possible.

As time went on, Herman became an integral part of the organization and expressed his interest in visiting the United States. In fact, he shared with my wife that it had always been a dream of his, as well as many other people in his country, to visit the US. He believed that the opportunities available in America far outweighed his chances for advancement in his home country.

My wife and Herman started devising a plan to bring Herman to the United States. Herman had already searched the Catholic Volunteer Network for a one-year faith-based volunteer opportunity and found an opening in Cincinnati, Ohio, that lasted for 12 months. He applied and received a B1/B2 visa, which allows foreigners to stay in America for activities such as tourism, visiting family members, and volunteering at not-for-profit organizations. However, there was one catch: Herman had never flown on a plane or left his hometown, let alone the country. Pretty scary stuff.

My wife told me about Herman and wanted to help him come to America so we arranged to buy him a plane ticket that would send him from Uganda, to Ethiopia, to Dublin, to Chicago and then finally to Cincinnati. It took him 26 hours. Quite a first time trip!

The day he was leaving from home, we told him that everything was in order and advised him to arrive at the airport plenty early because you never know what things could happen that could potentially hinder him from boarding the plane. Fortunately, he followed our advice because, since he was returning on a different airline, Ethiopian Airlines detained him as he couldn’t provide proof of booking a return flight. Luckily, just before they were going to close the doors without him, he found an email from me that showed his returning flight. As a result, they allowed him to board the plane.

Several months later, I’ll never forget my first impression the first time we met during the Thanksgiving holiday in St. Louis, Missouri. There was a rather shy and humble, intelligent man who had made the bold decision to fly halfway around the world in an attempt to improve his life and be a part of something that improved other people’s lives too. On the night of his arrival, we took him to an Italian restaurant where he shared stories about the stark contrast between our lives here and what he was accustomed to back home. It was so enlightening to get a glimpse of how different our daily lives were, yet we could connect and become friends in such a short amount of time.

The first place he lived in Cincinnati was with a group of volunteers who were also part of some international volunteer programs and began to get acclimated to his new surroundings. He thoroughly enjoyed his work there, but there was one obstacle: the program was only for a year. Despite this, Herman was determined to make America his permanent home and never return permanently to Uganda. However, as we soon discovered, achieving this was far from easy.

There were numerous hurdles that Herman had to overcome to stay in America, too many to list. The first one was probably the most harrowing. After Herman expressed his desire to stay in America, we discovered that the only viable option was for him to enroll in a university. Since he had always dreamed of getting a college degree, it was a perfect fit. However, before he could do that, he had to complete his internship program by flying out of the country and obtaining the necessary approval from the United States embassy in Uganda for his educational visa, allowing him to return to the US. Fortunately, this process went smoothly, and Herman successfully enrolled in a small community college in Cincinnati, with a focus on completing some computer science courses and then transferring to a small university in Cincinnati to pursue a degree in software engineering. We learned that as long as Herman remained enrolled in school, he would be able to stay in the country.

Even though we covered his tuition fees, Herman still had to find a way to finance his room and board expenses. To this day, we aren’t sure are not sure exactly how he managed to do it, but he did. He lived with a host family for a couple of years and also started working on campus. Unfortunately, due to his status as a foreign student, he was not permitted to seek employment off-campus. I’m not sure why this restriction exists, but it is indeed the law. How dumb is that?

Everything was going well in school, but in his eyes, his greatest achievement came in 2021 when Herman successfully passed his driver’s license test and was gifted an 2009 Chevy Saturn. He was incredibly thrilled and had never even considered the idea of owning a car before, as nobody in his family back in Uganda had ever owned one.

He began to excel in school and set a goal to graduate in 2023. However, some of the required classes for his degree were only offered once a year, which extended his graduation date by two semesters. This also meant that his graduation timeline would be prolonged by a year, but we had only agreed to cover his tuition for four years. We informed him that he would need to find a way to finance his final year of education. And guess what? He did. The US government offered a program for non-US citizens that allowed them to work off-campus in economic hardship situations. Herman needed us to provide a letter confirming that we would cover his tuition if he was unable to find a job, which he then submitted along with his application. To our delight, the government approved his application! Herman was now able to complete his degree by the spring of 2024.

That brings us to the present day. Just a few weeks ago, Herman graduated with a bachelor’s degree in a computer science related major. What an accomplishment. He didn’t have time to celebrate because he needed a job right away and wasted no time in applying to a marketing company. This particular company was in need of a software engineer to ensure the smooth operation of their website. In addition to his resume, they requested a referral from someone who could vouch for Herman’s abilities. Luckily, this was a simple task as my wife promptly picked up the phone and gave him a glowing recommendation, emphasizing what an incredible individual they had the chance to hire.

What a remarkable journey Herman has had in the past 8 years. He went from being a stranger who expressed interest in volunteering for an organization in St. Louis, Missouri, through contact with a woman he had never met, to someone who now has the chance for a full-time technology job in America. Herman was hired as a three-month intern, with a high probability of a permanent position. Herman’s quest to obtain permanent residency is far from over, but getting a permanent job in the US would be a tremendous step forward. I’m confident that whatever Herman puts his mind to, he will get it done.

There are many other heartwarming stories I could share about Herman, like his budding love of photography or his passion to dance, but this post has already become quite lengthy. However, I would like to leave you with one important thought: perseverance and hard work can still lead to the realization of someone’s hopes and dreams, no matter how impossible they may seem. Herman’s journey is a testament to the fact that the American Dream is still very much alive. You just have to put your head down and go for it.

Herman, thanks for reminding us of that and congratulations. We can’t wait to see the next chapter unfold in your amazing journey!