When Kareem Mahdi moved to the United States from Iraq in 2014, it was at a time when multitudes of people were fleeing Iraq for safety reasons. One of his adult sons had been in the United States military for some time, and Kareem, his wife, and their young daughter had been waiting for five years to get approval to come to the United States.
“In Iraq, you can have a lot of money, but you’re not safe. What do you do with money there?” Kareem says. “I had a very good job there, a house, and a car, but the safety of my family is more important than anything. That’s why I moved.”
When Kareem and his family finally got the go-ahead to move, they had only two weeks to pack up what they could and get to the United States.
“It’s very hard to move your roots,” Kareem Mahdi says. “When I got here, there’s no Arabic people around me. It’s a big challenge for all of us.”
One of the biggest obstacles was finding work in a new country where Kareem spoke little English and didn’t have an American education. Kareem had graduated from high school in Iraq and studied engineering in Yugoslavia. He had a degree from a school in Iraq and worked in oil well drilling, but he wasn’t sure what type of job to look for in the United States. Then his daughter-in-law, who had previously worked for Thompson School District, suggested that Kareem apply for a job in the schools as a custodian. Kareem was skeptical that being a custodian was the right job for him, but he knew he needed to support his family.
“[In my country] no one will talk to you if you’re doing that job. It’s a disrespected job there in my country,” Kareem says, explaining that despite his reservations, he went ahead and applied for the job and began working as a custodian at Loveland High School.
“After the first month, I wanted to be a part of it. The people at Loveland, they make you feel like you are one of them,” Kareem recalls. “[Former LHS Principal] Todd Ball and [former LHS Athletic Director/Assistant Principal] Kevin Clark, they treat me like I am something, I’m not nothing. I began to like that job.”
Now, Kareem has been working as a custodian in the district for almost 11 years. His daughter graduated from Loveland High School, and he has moved from working there to Centennial Elementary School, where he loves working with the younger students.
“The little kids, they depend on you more. I feel more important here,” Kareem Mahdi says. “The staff here are very, very nice. Here, I work during the day, so I connect with the teachers and the kids.”
Kareem says he has had offers to go to different jobs where he might be able to increase his income, but he chooses to stay with TSD because of the people.
“I had one opportunity; a friend told me I could go work on a farm,” he says. “I told him money is important, but the people that you work with, they know you. I care about this. The teachers and the kids like you, so what do you want more?”
Kareem is correct in his feeling that the Centennial staff appreciates him. According to some third-grade students:
“Mr. Kareem is kind, caring, and helpful. He always knows how to help us with our milk at lunchtime.”
And Centennial Principal Dr. Carmen Polka says the school would not be the same without Kareem.
“We are so fortunate to have Mr. Kareem as an important part of our Centennial community. Our school shines in excellence because of the pride he takes in the work he does each and every day,” she says. “He makes a positive impact in so many ways. When you see a student seek out Mr. Kareem for a high five or hug, you know you have a star amongst you.”
It’s this sense of community and appreciation that makes Kareem enjoy a job that many would find challenging.
“This community gives me a lot, they made my life easier when I got here. It makes me want to give back,” he says. “When the principal announces, ‘We thank Mr. Kareem for moving all the snow,’ it makes me very happy providing that service. It makes me feel very proud of what I am doing.”