Adjusting to a new country is hard enough, but doing it while trying to pursue a new career is even more difficult. Frank A. approached this challenge head-on when he emigrated from West Africa to the U.S. and completed Concorde Career College’s Respiratory Therapy program in San Antonio, Texas.
When he arrived from Ghana in 2012, Frank was alone and had only $400 in his pocket. But he was determined to find a job so he could pay his living expenses and bring his family over to the United States. He found a job but applied to Concorde to start a career.
“All I had was luck,” Frank said. “Earning a degree and hopefully a career from Concorde was the best solution I could have asked for.”
From Ghana to Texas
Before coming to San Antonio, Frank taught math and science at a local school in Ghana.
But he wanted more for his family and decided to apply for the United States government’s Diversity Visa Lottery program. After a long interview process, he was selected for a permanent United States resident visa.
Frank moved to San Antonio where he planned to stay with a friend of a friend but knew no one else when he arrived in the U.S. Alone, with no job and low funds, Frank found a position at a fast-food restaurant, where he worked long hours to pay for rent and provide for his family back in Ghana.
“I missed my family and my goal was to bring them to the United States,” Frank said. “But in order to do that, I needed a better, more permanent job. That’s when my friend told me about Concorde.”
Learning Respiratory Therapy
Frank had never heard of respiratory therapy but was immediately intrigued after discussing program options with one of Concorde’s admissions representatives.
“My mother had very bad asthma when I was a kid,” Frank said. “And when finding out there was a career out there that specifically helps people to breathe, I knew I had to be a part of it.”
In addition to his work in the RT program, Frank learned how to drive and to build his computer skills all while attending Concorde. He also picked up shifts at the restaurant when he could.
Frank, who appreciates the help and support from Concorde’s teachers and staff, graduated in 2014. He found a full-time position at Methodist Hospital in San Antonio through Concorde’s job fair, and still works there as a respiratory therapist.
Frank was able to bring his family to the United States and wakes up excited every day because he has an opportunity to help so many patients, more so during the pandemic.
“RTs are an essential part of the medical field because if you can’t breathe, you can’t survive,” Frank said. “Our responsibilities haven’t changed since the start of the coronavirus, but the number of patients we’ve seen has. I wouldn’t have gotten here or been able to help all the people I do without Concorde. They prepared me in every way possible and I’m always grateful to them.”
