Welcome to the Sudanese in Kentucky Web site, where we honor the history and recognize the accomplishments of refugees from Sudan who have resettled in the Bluegrass State. Beginning in 2001, several hundred Sudanese refugees put down roots in Louisville. They were among nearly 4,000 Sudanese refugees to whom the United States granted asylum from the world’s longest-running civil war, which claimed 2 million lives and displaced 5 million others. Known as the Lost Boys and Lost Girls because they mostly raised themselves after religious, ethnic, and regional strife forced them to flee their Southern Sudan homelands, they have endeared themselves to many Americans because of their positive attitudes, strong work ethic, and insatiable desire to learn.
Since it started in late 2005, the all-volunteer Sudanese Refugee Education Fund has guided students towards 34 combined college degrees at the associate's, bachelor's, and master's levels.Congratulations to the following mid-year graduates:
Kuol Kuai Deng, bachelor's degree in public health, Western Kentucky University
Pajieth Ayiel Bul, bachelor's degree in chemistry with business concentration,
University of Louisville
Alier Mareet, bachelor's degree in criminal justice, Indiana University-Southeast
Abraham Deng Goch, bachelor's degree in sociology/ criminal justice and religion
with a minor in philosophy, University of Dubuque
Ayuen-Arok Deu Deng, associate's degree in medical assistant/clinical associate,
Daymar College
Check back soon for more information about these students' achievements.
See also Life on Campus and Stories & Photos for articles, essays, and accomplishments of continuing students and graduates.
New College Graduates Celebrate Success
Graduates from the class of 2008-2009 join supporters at a reception following the 4th Annual Sudanese Scholars Celebration. See the News & Events page for more details about the ceremony.
(Photo, left to right, Yai Lyai, Lino Nakwa, James Malou, and Abraham Aluel)
When Yai Lyai heard that an organization called the Sons of Sudan was offering college scholarships to Sudanese refugees who could gain admission to Colorado Christian University, he left Louisville to apply for one of the positions. Despite the generosity of the organiza-tion’s sponsors, the Sons of Sudan organization was able to provide tuition, but not room and board costs. In addition, the college would not let the Sons of Sudan students apply for traditional financial aid, so Yai and others were forced to find jobs off campus and take out loans. Without a consistent meal plan at the university, the students depended on the generosity of benefactors named Dave and Alana Folsom who provided money from their limited retirement funds to feed the Sudanese students. Yai also received several scholarships from the Sudanese Refugee Education Fund.
Such obstacles might have deterred a less determined student. But Yai Lyai persevered. In 2006 when Ngor Biar Deng became the first of the Lost Boys from the Louisville area to earn a college degree, Yai said he was doubly motivated to continue his education. He told Ngor that he had set an example for all the other Sudanese students to follow. He told Ngor that he was his hero. Now Yai has become a role model himself. In May, he graduated from Colorado Christian University with a bachelor’s degree in accounting.
From his teenage years when he conducted sophisticated political caucuses under a tree in the Kakuma Refugee camps in Kenya to his emergence as a representative of the Sudanese Youth Association and a founding board member of the Sudanese Refugee Education Fund, James Maluak Malou has consistently, tirelessly, generously distinguished himself as a leader. Last year we recognized James for his remarkable commitment of service to Sudanese-Americans and the greater Louisville area. While guiding the education of others and never asking anything for himself, James worked the night shift for six years at UPS to pay for his education. He also worked multiple part-time jobs to support his wife and bring her to the United States. James has now added college graduate to his list of accomplishments, completing a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Louisville. He recently accepted a position as a case manager for Kentucky Refugee Ministries.
Lino Loboholoka Nakwa's story of self-sacrifice, perseverance, and dedication to his family and education has been widely reported in newspapers, television and radio, blogs, and email chains. When the U.S. government initially turned down Lino's green card application because of a misinterpretation of his experience as a war refugee, thousands of people across Kentucky rose to his defense. Every member of the state's Congressional and Senatorial delegation pleaded his case, and the government agreed to reconsider his situation. What motivated people, including hundreds of students and faculty at Transylvania University, to pick up the telephone and write letters on his behalf? In part, it was their admiration of how he became the surrogate father and sole support of his four teenage siblings when he was only 24 years old. In part, it was his persistence in pursuing a college education while raising a family and working full time. Building on their faith in his potential, Lino recently earned a bachelor's degree in business administration with a finance concentration from Transylvania University, where he made the Dean's List three of his four semesters at the school. He now works as an assistant manager at KFC, part of YUM! Brands Corporation.
Like Yai Lyai, Jor Deng Jor traveled many miles to earn a college degree. Originally resettled in Salt Lake City, Utah, Jor came to Louisville in December 2004 to visit his two cousins. While he was in town, he met Yai, who told him about the Sons of Sudan scholarship program. Two days later, Jor moved again to Colorado Springs and earned one of the seven scholarships offered to Sudanese refugees at Colorado Christian University. While he was in college, Jor worked as a sales associate at a sporting goods store to pay his living expenses. In May, Jor earned a bachelor's degree in business administration with a concentration in organization management.
(Photos are not available for all of the graduates:)
After coming to Louisville as a war refugee in 2001, Maurice Moro started taking classes at Jefferson Community College and later transferred to Campbellsville College, which has an extension campus in Louisville. All the while, he was working full time at UPS. He said that many times he wanted to quit school, but professors and mentors urged him on. In May, Maurice earned a bachelor's degree in social science from Campbellsville College. He plans to pursue a master's degree in counseling. He also is pursuing an associate's degree in Bible studies from Louisville Bible College.
Kuol Akech Dut, who received multiple scholarships from the Sudanese Refugee Education Fund, received a bachelor's degree in philosophy and theology from the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota. "A lot of thanks to the SREF for its scholarship, which has made a difference not only in my academic college life but also in other graduates' lives," he wrote.
We would also like to recognize Yengi Desmond Tutu Soti, a Sudanese national with ties to the Louisville community. In May, Desmond graduated from Westminster College in Missouri with a dual degree in chemistry and math. His 3.9 cumulative grade point average earned him Summa Cum Laude standing, the highest academic honor awarded to bachelor's degree candidates. Desmond received a fellowship to pursue a graduate degree in chemical engineering at the University of West Virginia, where his research focus is Nonlinear Chemical Dynamics.
Abraham Aluel recently received an associate’s degree in radiology from Jefferson Community College. He is a multiple award winner from the Sudanese Refugee Education Fund. Abraham attained certification in radiology and now works for Norton Hospital Corporation.
Alor Arop Deng received an associate's degree in clinical and medical assistance from National College of Business & Technology. While working full time as a certified nursing assistant and an interpreter at Kentucky Refugee Ministries, he maintained a 3.5 grade point average. He plans to continue his studies at Wesleyan University. "I do believe education is the only way we can overcome what we have gone through," he said. "God brought us from where we did not have any hope to the land of opportunities."
As a refugee of the civil war in Sudan, Wesley Confer Lukudu Lasu was forced to stop and start his education at many points. After graduating from high school in United Nations refugee camps, Wesley briefly attended the University of Juba and was trained as a community health worker by Medicin Sans Frontiers, an international aid organization based in the Netherlands. When he became a target of the Northern Khartoum government, he fled to Egypt and was granted asylum by the United States in 2003. Two years ago, he resumed his studies at National College. In May he received an associate's degree in surgical technology. While working full time and supporting his wife and four children, Wesley maintained a 3.82 cumulative grade-point average, the highest in his class.
Mawut Mach, who has received several scholarships from the Sudanese Refugee Education Fund, completed an associate's degree in criminal justice from Jefferson Community College in the summer of 2009. Mawut has transferred to the University of Louisville to pursue a bachelor's degree in his field.
Victor Kuany, another scholarship recipient, received his diploma in computer applications from National College.
In the following pages, you will read about other young men and women who are trying to further their education so they can pursue careers in business, engineering, science, health care, social work, and the ministry, among others. Most of the Sudanese work one or more low-wage jobs while supporting themselves and multiple family members back in Africa. In addition to paying for their own college expenses, many also send money so younger siblings can attend boarding schools in Kenya and Uganda. Please consider supporting their cause.
When Yai Lyai heard that an organization called the Sons of Sudan was offering college scholarships to Sudanese refugees who could gain admission to Colorado Christian University, he left Louisville to apply for one of the positions. Despite the generosity of the organiza-tion’s sponsors, the Sons of Sudan organization was able to provide tuition, but not room and board costs. In addition, the college would not let the Sons of Sudan students apply for traditional financial aid, so Yai and others were forced to find jobs off campus and take out loans. Without a consistent meal plan at the university, the students depended on the generosity of benefactors named Dave and Alana Folsom who provided money from their limited retirement funds to feed the Sudanese students. Yai also received several scholarships from the Sudanese Refugee Education Fund.
Lino Loboholoka Nakwa's story of self-sacrifice, perseverance, and dedication to his family and education has been widely reported in newspapers, television and radio, blogs, and email chains. When the U.S. government initially turned down Lino's green card application because of a misinterpretation of his experience as a war refugee, thousands of people across Kentucky rose to his defense. Every member of the state's Congressional and Senatorial delegation pleaded his case, and the government agreed to reconsider his situation. What motivated people, including hundreds of students and faculty at Transylvania University, to pick up the telephone and write letters on his behalf? In part, it was their admiration of how he became the surrogate father and sole support of his four teenage siblings when he was only 24 years old. In part, it was his persistence in pursuing a college education while raising a family and working full time. Building on their faith in his potential, Lino recently earned a bachelor's degree in business administration with a finance concentration from Transylvania University, where he made the Dean's List three of his four semesters at the school. He now works as an assistant manager at KFC, part of YUM! Brands Corporation.
Like Yai Lyai, Jor Deng Jor traveled many miles to earn a college degree. Originally resettled in Salt Lake City, Utah, Jor came to Louisville in December 2004 to visit his two cousins. While he was in town, he met Yai, who told him about the Sons of Sudan scholarship program. Two days later, Jor moved again to Colorado Springs and earned one of the seven scholarships offered to Sudanese refugees at Colorado Christian University. While he was in college, Jor worked as a sales associate at a sporting goods store to pay his living expenses. In May, Jor earned a bachelor's degree in business administration with a concentration in organization management. 
We would also like to recognize Yengi Desmond Tutu Soti, a Sudanese national with ties to the Louisville community. In May, Desmond graduated from Westminster College in Missouri with a dual degree in chemistry and math. His 3.9 cumulative grade point average earned him Summa Cum Laude standing, the highest academic honor awarded to bachelor's degree candidates. Desmond received a fellowship to pursue a graduate degree in chemical engineering at the University of West Virginia, where his research focus is Nonlinear Chemical Dynamics.
As a refugee of the civil war in Sudan, Wesley Confer Lukudu Lasu was forced to stop and start his education at many points. After graduating from high school in United Nations refugee camps, Wesley briefly attended the University of Juba and was trained as a community health worker by Medicin Sans Frontiers, an international aid organization based in the Netherlands. When he became a target of the Northern Khartoum government, he fled to Egypt and was granted asylum by the United States in 2003. Two years ago, he resumed his studies at National College. In May he received an associate's degree in surgical technology. While working full time and supporting his wife and four children, Wesley maintained a 3.82 cumulative grade-point average, the highest in his class.