You may never meet a bigger investor than Dr. Engda Hagos. A giver of time, energy, knowledge and love.

The Colgate University Associate Professor of Biology invests as much as he can into his students, his cancer research and his family.

"Ninety-eight percent of life is really bad. There is still that 2% I think that’s how I’ll survive,” Hagos said. “As you can see, students write posters. They write to me a lot so sometimes I feel like, ‘Let me just pick up this and read it.’ It makes me feel good.”

Hagos was born in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. In 10th grade, he says the government tried to take him to war. Hagos says he moved south, but after some time, was forced to flee.

“A lot of friends did not make it because we had to cross some bushes and you can be eaten by wild animals like hyena, or even the government, if they find you they just kill you right away,” he said.

Eventually Hagos made it to a refugee camp. He came to America as a refugee in 1991.

“I was working two jobs to support myself. I was working as a clerk, and then also as a parking attendant, so working 60 hours a week," Hagos said. 

His impressive college career began in Illinois, and that’s where Hagos met his wife, who is also from Ethiopia.

“I had a friend. We graduated together, and he invited me for Thanksgiving dinner, and then his sister invites my wife, and we don’t know each other,” said Hagos.

They got married in 2005, and had two girls, who are now teenagers. A few years ago, Hagos’ wife had an immigration issue.

“In 2018 when we hired a lawyer, they told us she can’t finish while she’s here. She needs to go home or someone else,” said Hagos.

Hagos says his wife is back in Ethiopia while the immigration issue gets sorted out. Since her return, war began again in the region.

“What’s exactly happening right now is repeating back then. It was a lot of killing, a lot of arrests in my ethnic group, which is from Tigray,” Hagos said.

Adding to the worries, Hagos said his wife caught COVID-19 this past September. He says she recovered, but is in a coma.

“Really difficult not being able to talk to her, also not to be able to go to even see her, touch her, kiss her, talking to her even though she’s not going to respond,” said Hagos.

Hagos said visiting his wife would be too risky for him, as his last name indicates he is from Tigray.

“It’s not because they do crime or anything like that. They just come, knock on your door, you show them your ID, and then if you are from Tigray they just take you to their concentration camps they have,” he said.

Hagos also recently lost his father, as he says communications and medications to the country are being cut off. Hagos says his father was a diabetic.

“I don’t even know if my family is alive right now. I have no idea," said Hagos.

With all this going on, Hagos continues to raise his girls, educate his students and pour himself into his cancer research.

“I’m hopeful always. My wife is going to be better, I’m hopeful. My country is going to get better, I’m hopeful. My kids are going to be ok, I’m hopeful. I’m okay, I’m hopeful,” Hagos said.

Hagos said he’s contacted several American leaders, seeking humanitarian parole for his wife so she can come back to the states and get the help she needs. He has been in communication with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s office.