My name is  Ali and I am a MTW graduate. When I heard about More Than Words, I was living in a homeless shelter; I was told I would get a lot of support there, which is what I really needed. At first I was a bit nervous because it was the first time I had worked in a book store and I didn’t think I would make friends, but it turned out to be the opposite. The biggest thing I learned was customer service and managing the cash register. Over my time there, I grew to become a little more calm, independent, organized and mature.

As a recent refugee from Syria, I didn’t know about the college school system but the MTW staff helped me to understand it. While at MTW, I learned about the Northeastern Foundation Year program through a site visit, which MTW helped me apply to and is where I am now. I also get to work at Northeastern! As I enter my third semester, I feel like I know what to expect and can handle it. I hope to earn a bachelor’s degree in architecture or engineering. Overall, MTW was like my GPS, it helped me navigate many systems and find the direction towards my goals.