Pelumi Olatinpo knows injustice and suffering intimately. As a boy, he lived under military dictatorships in his home country, Nigeria. At age 14, he moved to Italy with his family, yet struggled with the language barrier and lack of opportunities for people of color. After several challenging months, Pelumi and his siblings were treated to a vacation in Toronto, Canada. A few weeks later, his mother and youngest brother returned to Italy. Thanks to the resources of a family friend, Pelumi and his 12-year-old sister stayed—with a bold plan to start their new life in America. Together, under the cover of moonlight, they took a 15-minute speedboat trip on the Niagara River and crossed the wide open Canadian border into the United States. They arrived on the shores of Buffalo, New York, as undocumented immigrants. 

As Pelumi would quickly learn, “illegals” faced financial strain, social stigma, and barriers to education, employment, healthcare, and many basic rights. When their brother died in drowning accident, Pelumi and his sister could not travel to Italy to see his body or mourn with their parents. Embracing the core American values of hard work and equality, Pelumi completed high school and gained admission into six colleges—but couldn’t attend any due to his status. In 2003, he enrolled in local nursing school. Two years later, he graduated and passed the board exam. Despite his credentials as a licensed practical nurse, he was often thwarted by his lack of papers and spent nearly ten years working inconsistently and wherever available as an independent contractor. Out of frustration, he considered returning to Nigeria.

Fortunately, President Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program offered hope for a change. At last, Pelumi and his sister were able to obtain Employment Authorization Documents, Social Security numbers, and a path to citizenship. Inspired by the digital transformation sweeping the globe, he went on to study technology and cofounded a consulting services company. In 2022, he became a proud United States citizen.