Coming To America

In this episode of Coming to America, the host talks with Esraa Alkhateeb, an immigrant from Amman, Jordan, who moved to the U.S. three years ago and studies biochemistry and molecular biology at Lewis & Clark College. Esraa shares what it was like growing up in Jordan, a safe country amid regional conflict, and how financial constraints led her to seek scholarships. At 16, she left home to attend a United World Colleges campus in Mostar, Bosnia, completing the IB program and gaining an international community and a new learning style beyond memorization. She then came to the U.S. on the Shelby Davis Scholarship, choosing Lewis & Clark for its small size and access to research. Esraa reflects on cultural differences in relationships, loneliness abroad, and what she loves about Portland—nature, diversity, and great food—then encourages young people to pursue opportunities and ignore “you can’t” answers.

Kjell van Zoen, use they/he pronouns, from the Netherlands and England, came here in 2004. For money, Kjell work as an organizational development and change management coach, and has passion for making and playing music.

GEOFF CRAIGHEAD is, in every sense, a global citizen. Born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, he studied at the University of Melbourne and the Australian National University, while also playing Australian rules football with the South Melbourne Football Club. His early career carried him to North Australia, where he worked among indigenous communities, and later to Hong Kong, where he lived alongside former triad members and recovering heroin addicts, while serving in the Hong Kong & Kowloon Wharf Police. 
Geoff eventually settled in the United States with his wife, Sarah, and went on to build a distinguished professional career. He directed field training for Allied Universal, North America’s largest security contractor; served as president of ASIS International, the world’s foremost organization for security management professionals; authored authoritative reference works on skyscraper security and the 19th-century gold rush; and addressed audiences worldwide as a professional speaker.  
https://www.geoffcraighead.com/

Atousa Gorg, P.E. (she/her) is a Resident Engineer for consultant projects in ODOT - Oregon Department of Transportation. In her time at ODOT, Gorg's project management portfolio includes the Engineering Delivery of Interstate Bridge Replacement, I-5 Rose Quarter,  I-205 Toll Project and Regional Mobility Pricing Project.
Gorg has a Master's of Civil and Environmental Engineering from Portland State University and is a licensed Professional Engineer in Oregon. She is a multilingual Civil Engineer who immigrated to the US from the Middle East to practice her core values of freedom and equity. She serves as a board member, volunteer, and/or ambassador with several international and local nonprofit organizations, including WTS Portland which focuses on promoting the advancement of women in the transportation industry. In 2024, Gorg received the WTS Portland Member of Year Award and was a past recipient of the International Leadership Award for leading the Community Action Project.

David Hurtado was born and raised in Bogota, growing up during turbulent times in Colombian history. 
He moved to the US in 2008 for graduate studies in public health at Harvard University.
He lived in the Boston, MA area until 2015, when he then moved to Portland, where he works as an associate professor at Oregon Health & Science University, researching occupational stress and workplace health and safety.
He is married to a Colombian educator, and they have two kids born in Portland in 2018 and 2022.
His immigrant story involves science, academia, and rock music.