Minnesota's Outstanding Refugee Awards
2024 recipients
Recipients in previous years
Learn more about the five refugees who received the award in 2023, the five refugees who were honored in 2022 and the 11 refugees who were recognized in 2021. You can also learn about refugees recognized in previous years.
About the Outstanding Refugee Awards
The Resettlement Programs Office of the Minnesota Department of Human Services celebrates the strength, courage and resilience of all people in the state. We recognize that there are many Minnesotans with a refugee experience who are making a positive contribution in Minnesota. Every year we honor local leaders and citizens with Outstanding Refugee Awards to recognize former refugees who are making Minnesota a better place for all of us.
People from all over the world call Minnesota home. Refugees are people who have experienced persecution, whose lives were in danger where their country was no longer safe for them. People who arrive in the United States through the refugee program come from different backgrounds and experiences, but they have in common a strong desire to build a safe, new life for their families.
They are people who are highly motivated to work, to contribute, and, in many cases, to give back in service and volunteerism to help others in their new adopted home. Learn more about refugee programs in Minnesota.
We are surrounded by neighbors, coworkers, employees and friends who have powerful stories of resilience in the face of difficult circumstances, and are showing leadership in small and sometimes large ways to improve their communities in Minnesota. These stories of how residents are positively impacting other Minnesotans are important stories to share.
The department’s Outstanding Refugee Awards are one way to recognize the individuals in our communities who are making a difference in our neighborhoods, communities and world.
Refugees make an impact in Minnesota
Learn more about how refugees are making an impact in Minnesota.
- Refugees, immigrants reach for the sky
- Helping refugees move forward on a successful journey
- Giving people with disabilities the ability to live life to the fullest
- Coordinating grants to help people with disabilities
- Helping department staff resolve issues with technology
To learn what services are available to refugees in Minnesota, visit the department’s refugee services webpage.