[The] ECE® evaluation will enable me to pursue further education in the U.S., so that I can finally begin my career as an accountant. After waiting so long and suffering so much, my goal now is to live quietly with my family, concentrating on my studies and my job and enjoying life in the U.S.

- Fouad, ECE® Aid recipient

Fouad's journey to the United States has been a difficult one. At a young age he learned to take care of himself. This meant balancing a full-time job and his schoolwork. Taking care of himself also meant Fouad would have to flee to Egypt as civil war brought "terror and killing" to his village.

While in Egypt, Fouad worked hard to graduate from Cairo University with a bachelor's degree in accounting. His ambition to follow his dreams led Fouad through the long application process for refugee status. It would take many more years to complete the process; however, Fouad was finally able to make it to the U.S. and pursue his dreams. Luckily, the resettlement agency Fouad worked with contacted ECE for a fee waiver through the ECE® Aid initiative. After his long and arduous journey, Fouad can finally pursue his goals of working in his chosen career and settling into family life in the U.S.

"[The] ECE® evaluation will enable me to pursue further education in the U.S., so that I can finally begin my career as an accountant. After waiting so long and suffering so much, my goal now is to live quietly with my family, concentrating on my studies and my job and enjoying life in the U.S." - Fouad