Armin Kakas, 30
Dallas, Texas
Born in Serbia, my family and I fled to Hungary shortly after the start of the Yugoslav Wars in the early '90s. Fueled by the grand ideas of the American Dream, I migrated to the U.S. about 13 years ago with roughly $200 in my pocket and leaving my family behind in Hungary.
I wanted to start a new life in a country where regardless of my family background or ethnicity, I could actually rely on myself to get a top education, a good job, and live a life I wouldn't have been able to lead back in Eastern Europe.
A first-generation college graduate, I earned my bachelor's degree while working full time, and later earned my MBA. Now, I work for GE in Dallas, leading a team focused on sales force effectiveness.
I think if I were a 30-year-old born in this country, used to the luxuries that American children experience, my mentality might be a bit different. But when I compare my life now, and see the opportunities that exist in this country, this whole concept of the American Dream is still very much alive.
NEXT: Dreaming of... helping those less fortunate
