A courageous journey from the Ukraine to US citizenship

Description

Rada Oakley is a successful IT professional in NC where she lives with her husband and two young girls. Rada came to the US as an exchange student from the Ukraine and lived with Bernie and Sondra Edwards in Boone, NC in 1993. The bond formed during this short term host situation changed the course of Rada's life as the Edwards worked to bring Rada back to the US. Rada applied and was accepted to Appalachian State University and the Edwards' raised community support to help her return to attend college. Over the next several years, Rada worked two jobs while obtaining her Computer Science degree and then became gainfully employed. Many years later she became a US citizen. In this interview she talks about the "luck" that turned her life into an American dream in a conversation with her Ukrainian and American moms.

Participants

• Sondra Edwards
  
• Rada Oakley
  
• Irina
  

Interview By

• Laurie Williamson