Ethiopia Student Receives Money from Emily Griffith Foundation Each Term 

After arriving in Denver from Ethiopia one year ago, Eleni Fikremariam, 21, sat at home for the first six months, afraid to communicate with anyone. 

“I didn't have confidence to talk to anyone,” she says. 

She struggled with her English and knew she needed to improve her language skills in order to be successful and gain good employment in the U.S. She started English Language Acquisition classes at Emily Griffith Technical College — a recommendation from her dad who also took classes five years prior when he arrived in the United States. 

“I heard it’s a great opportunity for immigrants,” Eleni says of the classes and programs at Emily Griffith. 

She was thrilled to finally join her father in Denver and also start English classes, but Eleni needed money to continue the courses. With help from grants secured by the Emily Griffith Foundation, her tuition was covered by scholarships. 

“Every term that I registered, I asked for scholarships, and I got all my scholarships. It’s really helpful,” she says. 

Her praise for the College and the Foundation’s help is something she talks about often with others. 

“I recommend [Emily Griffith] for new students, because the teachers really help you reach your goal,” she says. 

After Eleni finishes her English Language and Vocational Transitions classes, she’ll work toward a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) certificate at Emily Griffith Technical College. 

She’s one of many immigrants who start off taking English courses at Emily Griffith, and move directly into a Career and Technical Education certificate program. 

Eleni looks forward to getting her CNA license and helping others. 

“I’m working on that process. I want to start in August,” she says, noting that she will again need financial help for classes and is hopeful scholarships will again be available for her.

Ethiopia didn’t offer her much opportunity, which is why Eleni says she moved to the U.S.: “There aren’t a lot of opportunities for school or working in my country, so I wanted to study here,” she says. 

Now, thanks to support from Emily Griffith Foundation, Eleni is thriving and looking forward to starting a career in the healthcare industry with good wages and better career path opportunities.