In 1997, Aida Gary landed in Louisville from Bosnia through Germany as a refugee. She didn’t speak English and needed help navigating basic facilities in the United States.
Gary said she was met with workers juggling an overwhelming case load at the Catholic Charities of Louisville, one of the nonprofits which handles resettlement of refugees in the city.
She knew just three sentences in English: “My name is Aida,” “I am from Bosnia” and “How do you do?” Getting an interpreter who could help her was a long shot.
Whether it’s a trip to the doctor, filling out immigration paperwork or accessing benefits, she and many others who make their way to America need English skills.
Gary decided to bank on her ability to learn a new language. She had done that in Germany, where she worked as a Bosnian-German interpreter. She started by picking up an English-Bosnian dictionary with an urge to be self-sufficient..
Six months after her arrival, Gary got her first American job, as an interpreter at Catholic Charities of Louisville, Gary said. She worked there until 2017.