Foreign-born women are making a powerful impact in the U.S. workforce, and organizations like Lincoln Literacy are playing a vital role in their success. First is Herita Akamah, now a Lincoln Literacy board member, who moved from Cameroon to the U.S. in 2005 to pursue a graduate degree. Despite facing challenges like navigating different grading systems and academic hurdles, she earned her master’s and Ph.D. and is now a tenured professor of accounting at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Similarly, Mirabel Forteh, a former Lincoln Literacy student, also came from Cameroon in 2005, where she eventually earned a master’s degree and a Doctor of Nursing degree.
Success stories like these are a growing positive trend. According to recent research by Senior Economist Didem Tüzemen and Associate Economist Emily Pollard, foreign-born women have played a key role in the surge of prime-age women (ages 25-54) entering the labor force, especially after the pandemic. While many women struggled during the recession, foreign-born women were more likely to re-enter the workforce and become their families’ primary earners.
Enter Kelly Ross, a former tutor turned partner of Lincoln Literacy, who created the ECHO Collective, an organization that helps foreign-born women rebuild their lives in the U.S. “We are noticing that the businesses started by our entrepreneurs are the sole source of income for the family,” Ross said. “Since we began in 2020, 49% of the women in our programs are the primary income-earner for their families.”
Jahena Cervantes is another example of recent success. She moved to Nebraska from Mexico in 2016 and enrolled in online and in-person English classes through Lincoln Literacy, as well as entrepreneurial classes through ECHO Collective. With Lincoln Literacy and ECHO Collective’s combined support, Cervantes was able to start her own cleaning business. Now, she’s proud of her entrepreneurial journey and the confidence she’s gained along the way.
“The key to success is we meet people where they are,” said Bryan Seck, Lincoln Literacy’s Executive Director. “No one has to be here; people choose to be here. That’s our magic. What do you want to do? What are your goals? We are able to build trust with people.”
These women’s achievements serve as an important reminder of the power of determination, education, and community support. Stories like theirs are just the beginning.
Read the full story here from the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.
