Noor Al Dulaimi, Portland Adult Education (PAE) class of 2017, came to the United States with a B.S. in horticulture from the University of Baghdad, but wanted help learning English.

“When you come in from a different country, it’s going to be a different language, a different culture,” Al Dulaimi said. “Language is a very important thing to have to communicate with people, to have a job, and to continue to succeed in your studies.”

Her husband, who had come to the United States before she arrived in 2014, suggested Al Dulaimi go to PAE. She found more than just English classes at PAE, though. She found a community.

To recognize her accomplishments, the educators and staff at PAE have chosen to give Al Dulaimi the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award.

“Since the first day here, I found all the support, all the encouragement from the teachers,” she said. “We had a chance to make a new community. You see people from your culture, from your country, from other countries, and you only see love, support and encouragement.”

Pregnant with her first child while studying English, her classmates and one of the teachers threw her a baby shower at PAE.

“I didn’t have family here, only my husband,” she said. “They made me feel like I was not in a school, like I was surrounded by family.”

Al Dulaimi decided she wanted to be a nurse after giving birth to her daughter. The decision brought her back to PAE to get an American diploma, which she needed before she could study nursing. She then got a scholarship to go to Southern Maine Community College, where she studied medical assistance and health science, graduating with honors. From there, she went to work as a nursing technician while attending the University of Southern Maine to earn a nursing degree.

Throughout her journey, she stayed in close touch with PAE Academic Advisor Anja Hanson, who attended Al Dulaimi’s graduation from USM.

“Anja Hanson is the most supportive person I have ever met in the United States,” she said. “She was the person who really guided me to achieve my goals, even after I earned the U.S. high school diploma.”

Al Dulaimi passed her board exam in December 2024 and is now an emergency department nurse at Maine Medical Center. It’s a hard job, she said, but a rewarding one. She lives with her husband and three children in South Portland, and has plans to go back to school again to obtain a master’s in nursing.

“Every time I go to the hospital, I think ‘Yeah, I did the right thing by choosing this career,” she said. “I learned from PAE. They helped me and this community helped me, so I want to do something that’s helping the community. That’s why I chose nursing and I choose to stay in Maine. I feel they embraced me and now it’s my turn to embrace them and help them.”