Mekonnen Tesfaye came to the United States in 2014. After receiving a credential evaluation from WES, he is now a PhD candidate at University of the Cumberlands in Kentucky.

But his journey was not easy. When he first arrived, he struggled to find work and continue his education.

He believes that his life turned around thanks to a credential evaluation from WES. Read his immigrant success story below.

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I am an Ethiopian. I was born and raised in Ethiopia, and I received my bachelor’s degree in public administration and development management from Addis Ababa University—the top university in the country.

After working five years for different nongovernmental organizations, I moved to Norway. That was where I pursued my master’s degree. I studied international community health at the University of Oslo Norway.

Upon graduation, I got an offer from UNICEF. They invited me to become an international consultant and state lead for the polio eradication program based in Nigeria. I worked there for about two years before I moved to the U.S.

My Experience in the U.S.

When I first arrived in the United States, things did not go as expected. Despite the fact that I had a lot of professional experience—as well as a master’s degree from one of the most prestigious universities in the world—it was not easy for me to find work or continue with my PhD. Employers did not understand my education. I needed a credential evaluation to show them the equivalent of my degrees and experience in the U.S.

At first, I was applying to universities and to agencies and employers in Washington, D.C. Most of them were not interested enough to even invite me for an interview.

But once I had my credential evaluation, I could prove that my education was equivalent to any other quality education in the U.S. Then, things changed.

It was tremendous that WES changed my life in this way. WES is not just a credential evaluation agency: It’s a bridge that connects skilled immigrants to opportunities.

One of the things that made my life easy was my digital badge from WES. It gave me a sense of empowerment and energy. I immediately added it to LinkedIn. Afterwards, multiple recruiters reached out to me for interviews.

Future Goals

Once I finish my PhD, my long-term objective is to pursue broad-based research and continue developing my advocacy organization, which is called Jantilla. The name means “embracing & sharing ideas.” I started it with two of my friends to promote the idea that immigrants with relevant skills can contribute in a very meaningful way.

Immigrants should not have to work in low-level jobs because they lack information or because the system is hard to penetrate.

My Advice

I recommend internationally educated individuals start their job search, or graduate school applications, after getting a credential evaluation. There is so much pride and dignity that comes with receiving a U.S. or Canadian [credential evaluation].

To read more about the impact of credential evaluations, check out the WES Annual Report.

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The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of World Education Services (WES).