As Paul Ariik dragged an AK-47 on Sudanese soil, he never imagined he'd one day earn both a bachelor's and a master's degree in America.
Weeks after 9/11, a plane landed in New York City. On board was Paul Ariik, a 21-year-old Sudanese Lost Boy. As the plane began its descent, Ariik looked out the window. It was nighttime and he thought he was seeing fireflies on a river. The fireflies were in fact the New York City skyline. Ariik had never been in a plane or even a city before. In fact, the first time he saw a telephone, refrigerator or even traffic lights was hours after this very flight.