Video: Faces of Conflict at Eastern Iowan colleges and universities

Many of Iowa's colleges and universities have growing international populations, and often those students come to campus with war as part of their life experiences. In the Faces of Conflict series, we take a look at how they got here, what life is like for them and what their hope is for the future. Click on the name of each student for their complete story. 

Monzer Shakally — Syria

"I think it's a responsibility we have to show who we really are. That we're not that different" 

— Shakally, on American perception of Syria refugees and Muslims.

Adil Imran — Pakistan

"If you've got education, you can do anything in the world."

— Imran, who studies public safety and political science at Kirkwood Community College. He intends to contribute to peace efforts in Pakistan and other other nations in conflict after completing his coursework. 

Hillary Omitogun — Nigeria

"I found ways to alert people I was kidnapped."

— Omitogun, who was rescued shortly after an abduction attempt. The incident propelled her forward to pursue an education in the U.S. with the hope of later returning to Nigeria to help fix the issues of her country.

Lev Lvovskiy — Russia

"The whole country has to suffer because of some insane policies."

— Lvovskiy, on the deep divisions of political opinion in Russia. 

Abhinav Shrestha — Nepal

"For me, it looked like something straight out of the movies."

— Shrestha, describing the 7.8 magnitude earthquake in 2015 that left 3.5 million people displaced.