Jackson Byiringiro arrived in Michigan in 2014 from Rwanda thinking he would find a job as a nurse, the same position he held for eight years in his home country.
Byiringiro said he quickly realized the qualifications he earned in his home country were not recognized here.
"When I came here as a nurse, I knocked on the doors of every job and couldn’t find any," Byiringiro said. "So, I decided to go back to school."
After applying and figuring out what portions of his degree would transfer to the Kirkhof College of Nursing, he started his second nursing degree in 2016.
Since he was a young boy, Byiringiro said he had a passion for helping others. After beginning nursing courses in high school and graduating from college in 2006, he managed a clinic in Rwanda that offered services ranging from primary health care to surgical procedures.
Mike Stoll, academic advisor for KCON, said Byiringiro is his most unique student.
"The interesting part of the story is he comes in here and doesn’t know anybody, and he has this professional license that isn’t recognized until you take the U.S. national certifying exam," Stoll said. "The other crazy part is Jackson said, 'I'm just going to do the nursing program again and learn the U.S. system,' which has worked to his benefit."
To expand his opportunities further, Byiringiro became a U.S. citizen in November.
"I feel more comfortable, and when I tell my teachers that I'm a U.S. citizen, they don’t assume that I’m leaving today or tomorrow," Byiringiro said.
In December, Byiringiro secured a job as a nurse technician at Mercy Health Saint Mary's in Grand Rapids. He plans to keep reaching new heights in his career, and even has ideas to help future international students who were established in their careers before coming to the U.S.
Sylivia Mupepi, a native of Zimbabwe and professor of nursing, offered to help Byiringiro with this project.
"I believe Grand Valley is creative and can do it," Byiringiro said. "And I find that people are willing to help."
-- story written by Olivia Conaty, student writer
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