Staff Spotlight | Narad Nepal
Narad Nepal is the Associate Director of Career Services, overseeing the CRIS’ Employment Program.
“Do they have experience?”
This is one of the first questions employers ask when I talk to them about hiring refugees. I always answer without hesitation: “Oh, yes, they have experience.”
As the manager of CRIS’ Employment Program, my mission is to help New Americans—work-authorized refugees, asylees, and immigrants who have been in the U.S. for less than five years—secure gainful employment. Beyond their education and career backgrounds, our clients bring extraordinary resilience, adaptability, and determination.
I understand their journey firsthand. I came to the U.S. after living years as a Bhutanese refugee in Nepal.
When my wife, two young children, and I arrived in California in 2011, I was eager to work. My first job was at a restaurant in San Francisco, commuting by bus and train from our apartment in Oakland. Realizing one job wasn’t enough to support my family, I found additional work at a gas station kiosk.
At the gas station, my supervisor—an immigrant himself—understood the struggles of starting over. He encouraged me to apply for an assistant manager role at an affiliate station. I doubted myself, unsure of my English skills and my ability to take on more responsibility. But he asked me a simple question: “Do you want to grow?” His belief in me gave me the confidence to apply. I got the job, and he trained me for success. Eventually, I managed a store of my own, building my leadership skills and experience.
In 2013, my family and I moved to Columbus, Ohio. I worked at major retailer’s tire division, and then at a manufacturing plant in Grove City. In 2014, I applied for a part-time role with CRIS’ Senior Services program. I worked the night shift at the manufacturing plant while visiting seniors in the evenings—this experience was a turning point. Seeing the needs of the community firsthand, I felt a deep calling to connect people to resources.
Over time, I had the opportunity to work in CRIS’ VOCA program and Refugee Health & Wellness program. No matter the role, one thing remained constant: at CRIS, we are always helping people.
Through years of working multiple jobs and taking on countless overtime shifts, I achieved something I once only dreamed of—I purchased a home for my family in 2015. That moment remains one of the happiest of my life.
In 2016, I became the Program Manager for CRIS’ Senior Services program, where I learned that nothing is impossible with effort and determination. In 2021, I transitioned to my current role as Program Manager of the Employment Program. Helping one person secure a job doesn’t just change their life—it uplifts their family, strengthens their employer, and benefits the entire community. It gives that person a reason to wake up in the morning and a purpose for living. I am honored to be part of this work.