I don't know about you,
but I think this could be like
a romantic movie, this story.
OK, so Ahmad Al Zukani.
So he grew up in Syria, one of 10 children,
the youngest of 10 children, ri?
So he and his brothers all lived in one room.
His sisters lived in one room,
and he had to start working at six years
old just to help provide for the family.
So he's been working really har.
Then in 2015, he fled Syria bece
of the civil war to come to the.
He came here, no money,
spoke hardly any English,
and he ended up getting a job at
Refuge Coffee Company as a bari.
And that's where he really leard
the trade and how did to do cof.
And so not only that,
but while he was working there,
he met this woman who came in.
There she is.
That's his wife.
She became his wife.
And then he ended up starting
his own coffee house called Mint
Mobile Coffee House with he and
his wife and they just celebratd
2 years of being in business,
which is so huge because only
20% of small businesses actually
even last that long.
So I I just love his story.
And then he found us.
What I mean,
he fell in love and
I know I know what a story.
I feel like every person that i.
Been an immigrant or has come to
this country like we should hava
channel dedicated to them sharig
their stories and and showing,
you know, he says in that inter,
he says, you know,
we are living the American dream
and you really are mad and we're
so happy that you're here and
you're spending the love of
coffee where he met his wife.
That's just a full circle momen.
I like that. It's
so huge, so huge.
OK, so did your boys,
did they like virtual learning?
Like how was that was terrible.
He's terrible. Most people,
that was the consensus, right?
Well, Caroline Ridout, she actu.
So she moved from a small town
in Alaska to metro Atlanta.
She started high school,
so she's just starting to
get to know her classmates.
And then the pandemic happened.
And she's like, oh man.
Well, she ended up actually
thriving in the virtual classro.
So much so that after
everything started opening up,
she enrolled in Fulton Academy
Virtual School of Excellence.
And she has not only thrived th,
but she's really helped the whole school.
She actually facilitated
their first prom there.
They are right there.
And she got a scholarship to Bel
University to study psychology
and early childhood education.
And she wants to be a teacher.
And it's just so cool because learning
is so different for every perso.
I was gonna say it really is.
And I feel like if there's any
silver lining to what we went
through the last few years,
it is that there are so many
people who are introverted who y
yes, this was actually.
Yeah, kind of good for me
and my psyche and that I was able to,
you know, not have to be out around you.
And so maybe it was like a, in a way,
like kind of a perfect storm for
her to learn online and also be,
you know. Do all that good?
Yeah. So many people. Yeah.
Total. That's totally.
I love that. That's such
a OK. Well, Sam Kaplan,
he is like an example that it's never too
late to pursue your dreams because he just
graduated from college at 72 years old.
Love it. He never went to colle,
but he always wanted to be
a Scream playwriter.
And so he heard an ad on the ra,
went to Georgia Gwinnett Colleg.
He now, he just graduated at 72 years old.
And the cool thing is,
is that his 99 year old mom was
able to watch him walk across
the stage and get that diploma.
That isn't that awesome.
That is the best story I've ever heard.
I love it. Age ain't nothing but a number,
ladies and gentlemen. So don't forget that
That's so neat. And then his mom was there to
see it. I mean, she was so proud. All right.
Like, I'm so proud of you. Heidi Brew. Oh,
thank you for
being here. My 99 year old.
I will be there when you cross that stage.
I always, we so appreciate havig
you back. Thank you for having .
All right. And we want to
thank Fort Myers Islands,
beaches and neighborhoods for sponsoring.
It's all good today. Thank you so much.
And as you know, we're always
looking for it's all good stori.
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