"My parents moved to the US from Syria and I was looking for a way to help them learn the language and build friendship, and to help them understand American culture. At that time, I was doing a Master degree in executive presence and I had a two-year-old. My mom took care of my baby. When I was introducing the idea for them to join the Festa program, she said, “We cannot go because we need to take care of your daughter.”  We were astonished when we learned Festa has childcar

“When I first came to America, everything felt new, confusing and honestly overwhelming. I didn’t know the language, I didn’t understand the systems and I didn’t have anyone here that I trusted with my children. For the first three years, I didn’t go anywhere without my husband. I was too scared to leave the house alone. The world outside felt too big, too unfamiliar and I didn’t feel ready to face it by myself — especially with five children. “At the same time, I wanted so b

“I grew up here in Ohio. My dad was a pastor, so faith was always part of my life, but it didn’t really become personal to me until after he passed away unexpectedly. That loss really woke me up to my own faith. I started asking more questions and taking things more seriously. “I joined the Army National Guard in 2021. I spent time in the Middle East, and after being deployed for over a year, coming back home was harder than I expected. The transition was difficult. I felt ki