Utah Governor Gary Herbert and First Lady Jeanette Herbert
on Tuesday visited Salt Lake Community College’s Meadowbrook Campus, which is home
to the Utah Refugee Education and Training Center and where they heard about
what the center has done for refugees so far. Many refugees told Herbert that
the center is like a second home, that it connects them with employers, has
resources to help them learn English, and provides a place to gain the skills
and education they need to get jobs and pursue a better life.
Utah Governor Gary Herbert and First Lady Jeanette pose for a group shot.
“Your stories are impressive,” Herbert told refugees at the
center. “We follow what’s taking place here, and on behalf of the three million
people of Utah, we want you to know that you’re welcome. We’re honored to have
you here. We’re glad you somehow have chosen Utah as your home.”
Utah is home to an estimated 60,000 refugees from around the
world. Many seek help with assimilating into the Utah job market and culture
through the center, which represents a partnership between higher education,
the private sector and state government, including the Utah Department of
Workforce Services.
Utah Governor Gary Herbert listens to refugees' stories.
Refugee and SLCC student Zakiya Ali called the center
“home,” where there are people who can help in a variety of ways. “You have
people to help you understand life here,” she said. “The culture and society is
different.” Refugees, she added, can use translators at the center to help them
feel more “comfortable and confident” so that they’ll take a “chance” to get a
job and “become part of society.”
Community activist Pamela Atkinson reminded Herbert about
his first inauguration speech when he spoke of the importance of public and
private partnerships. She called the success of the center the “epitome” of
that kind of partnership. “I would like to say how enormously proud we are of
you,” she told refugees. “You have enriched our lives. You have shared your
culture with us, and we have learned so much from you. And we are glad in some
small way to pay back a little of what you have given us under the leadership
of Governor Herbert, whose heart is great. And he asks how are refugees are
doing—more than once a year.”
SLCC student and refugee Zakiya Ali talks to Governor Gary Herbert.
As the governor and his wife toured parts of the SLCC campus
and refugee center, they learned about the resources available to refugees.
SLCC President Deneece G. Huftalin talked briefly about programs at the campus
like composites, warehousing and aerospace that are available for refugees.
Herbert remarked that the center is a place for refugees to
gather, learn and improve their lives. “It’s the helping hand up, not just a
helping hand,” he said. “The work ethic you bring is certainly welcome here in
Utah. We want to help you help yourself. We promise you here in Utah that you
will have opportunities. We’re just honored here to have you as part of Utah.
You add a significant blessing to our community with your presence. We will
come back more than once a year.”
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