Staff Spotlight | Miriam Tesfai
Miriam Tesfai is a Refugee Health & Wellness Resource Specialist with CRIS’ Refugee Health & Wellness Program.
“It’s like a reset mode where I had to learn to start all over again.”
In her home country of Eritrea, Miriam developed an impressive resume in the healthcare field as a school nurse and community health advocate working with the United Nations. She had a deep sense of purpose as she served her community and a deeper understanding of belonging among her people. When she came to the United States and began the process of resettling, she felt as if all of that had been stripped away in the blink of an eye. She found herself in New York City without a job, shelter, or any friends or family to contact. And she was several months pregnant. She explains, “It was an absolute shock to my being. I went from being well-known and well-established in my home to being in a place where I was just another face in the crowd and name on a page.”
She eventually made her way to Washington D.C. where she gave birth to her son. After that, she worked at a 7-Eleven convenience store, but she longed to return to work in the healthcare field. She attended a “Mommy and Me” English as a Second Language class just to make connections with other moms and community resources. The instructor quickly noticed Miriam’s excellent English skills and pulled her aside to explain that she did not need that course to improve her language ability. Through further conversation with the instructor, Miriam was connected with a new job–in the healthcare field! She worked as a Medical assistant instructor for a few years, slowly building community and a new life for her and her son.
In 2017, she felt it best for her and her son to leave the D.C. metro area, so she moved to Columbus. She first became involved with CRIS as a member of the Refugee Speakers Bureau, presenting to students and healthcare professionals to give insight into the refugee and immigrant world. She joined the CRIS staff in 2022 and is now a Refugee Health & Wellness Resource Specialist on the Refugee Health & Wellness team. Through her struggles with navigating systems in the U.S., she has developed a passion for educating refugees and immigrants about healthcare and empowering them to ensure their needs are met.