The trek in between has been filled with hard work and dreams fulfilled for these immigrants who arrived in Louisville at age 16 in 2015 knowing little English. Their path has been an education that went beyond the walls of their UofL classrooms.

Their journey started with their mother, Ilsa Brunelis, who wanted a better future for her sons than they might have had under the . Her sister was living in Louisville and sung its praises. With a vibrant Cuban community to be their support system, the family could still become immersed in the American experience.

Through Louisville’s Kentucky Refugee Ministries (KRM), the twins entered Jefferson County Public Schools’ for English language learners in middle and high school. They met other students also new to the United States. They later attended Academy at Shawnee and, after a meeting with UofL Admissions Executive Director Jenny Sawyer, they started taking dual-credit courses at UofL in 2017.

Both will graduate Saturday with degrees in chemical engineering. Dariel has accepted a job in Houston with his dream company, ExxonMobil, one of the companies where he worked as part of Speed’s co-op program. Damian is also moving to Texas; he will work in Dallas for Amazon as an operations manager.

Seven years after landing in Louisville, Ilsa Brunelis is seeing her American dream realized.��

“She thinks she’s the one graduating,” joked Dariel.��

The brothers have high praise for UofL’s professors and give back by volunteering as tutors to their fellow students. It is their mother who was the foundation of it all, they said.

“I can’t imagine how difficult it would be to leave a whole life, you know, 50 years in one country and go to another country where you don’t even know the language,” Damian added, “all to seek a better future for your kids.”

Both brothers spend their free time studying finance and investing to learn more about the U.S. economy. Damian also has a passion for dancing, while Dariel is into running and fitness.

“I never really felt like I was not going to make it. I always remained positive and I was like, you know, I’ll get through this,” Dariel said.��

Louisville has the third largest Cuban population the country after Miami and Houston, according to KRM’s Adrienne Eisenmenger, who is the nonprofit’s family and youth services manager. She called the brothers “rock stars.”

“They got into Speed School and both just excelled,” Eisenmenger said. “It’s been a joy just working with them and watching them.”

More about Dariel and Damian below: 

The team helped write claims for service members stationed at the U.S. Naval Station so that they’re better prepared for retirement. They fielded more than 200 questions and claims, a .��

The group also appeared on the Radio GTMO show, participated in networking events and gave presentations to incoming high school seniors. This was the fifth trip to Guantanamo Bay for the volunteers. Dodson, who has been involved in the Kentucky Boys State program since 2014 and now serves as an assistant counselor, was asked to join the delegation in December by Executive Director Pete Trzop.

Trzop has made quite an impact on Dodson. In fact, Dodson credits him, as well as John Beach, Chris Gootee and Mark Kennedy, with inspiring him to stay in college after struggling over whether or not to drop out.

Dodson’s segment on the Radio GTMO show was focused on this specific decision.

“By coming back (to the Kentucky Boys State program) as a junior counselor and making connections with various staff members, I decided to stay in college,” he said.

Dodson’s favorite part about the trip was being able to give back to the active service members stationed there by helping them file their claims with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

“I chose to pursue veterans benefits because I feel that they are not appreciated as much as they should be,” Dodson said. “They do not receive the benefits they deserve after all they do for us and our country.”

Dodson also appreciated the team-building opportunities that took place during the trip.

“I was able to get to know (the team) and connect with them on a more personal level,” Dodson said. “We were able to do a lot of positive things while we were down here.” 

Dodson’s post-graduate plans include pursuing employment in the communications field with LG&E. He believes his education at UofL has prepared him well for such a path forward.

“Thanks to Dr. Selene Phillips, I have really been able to hone in on my news writing skills. I have seen improvements in my writing both inside and outside of class,” Dodson said. “By taking video communication class with Dr. Ralph Merkel, I was able to hone my video editing skills. Thanks to these skills I learned at UofL, I was successful in obtaining an internship with the Oldham County Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development.”

His education may have indeed prepared him for such a career, but his involvement outside of the classroom has prepared him for even bigger things.

“Whether you attend the program or do service work, Kentucky Boys State and the American Legion are organizations that change lives,” Dodson said. “They both have certainly changed mine.”

Learn more about their trip in the video below: