A Long Way from Baghdad

Many soldiers rely on email and Facebook to keep in touch with family and friends back home. The same holds true for Iraqis seeking refuge here in the United States.

There is only one Iraqi student at the University of Wyoming. Ali Hamodi is 21 years old. He grew up in a middle-class suburb in western Baghdad which, after the invasion in 2003, became one of the city's most dangerous neighborhoods. Ali endured the violence for two years before good luck, a good friend, and a series of letters paved his path to the United States.

Wyoming Public Radio's Addie Goss brings us his story. You can listen to it at the Public Radio Exchange.

(Photo courtesy of Katie Carlson)