HOOSIER REFUGE: How Cole Varga is Leading in Uncertain Times
Cole Varga ’10 (International Relations) is exactly where he needs to be. But as the CEO of Exodus Refugee Immigration in Indianapolis sits down in his chair—looking like he’s carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders—he can’t help but let out an anxious sigh and admit with a note of sarcasm, “I’m real fun at parties.” It’s tough to smile these days. While it may be a slight exaggeration that, like the mythical Atlas, he’s holding up the world,
America because they’re working jobs that we don’t want to do, whether that’s cutting chickens apart all day or working the night shifts at Amazon.” It takes just a few minutes to experience how the beautiful cacophony of voices from around the world—each with a story of brokenness and despair—has come to the Heartland for help to get back on their feet. A Congolese mother and her baby sit beside an Afghan family while a caseworker speaks fluent Spanish to a woman from Venezuela. Varga’s job, running a
What is a refugee?
A refugee is someone who is forced to flee their home country and seeks safety in another country. Perhaps they are a Christian minority in a place like Burma or belong to the LGBTQ+ community in Nigeria or Pakistan. According to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), there are an estimated 123 million displaced people around the globe, including 44 million refugees worldwide. About 40% are children. Refugees register with the United Nations. Cases that might be of particular interest to the United States, like family reunification cases, are vetted by multiple agencies including the State Department. If they are invited in, they are connected to one of about 400 immigration agencies nationwide like Exodus, who do the actual work of resettling and assimilating each refugee.
it’s no exaggeration that he feels a responsibility to hundreds of families and thousands of lives (he likes to call them “heartbeats”) who rely on him and his staff. Families trying to make the absolute best they can from trauma that most Americans cannot truly understand as they live in the richest nation on earth: refugees fleeing war, sex trafficking, ethnic cleansing, political persecution, or natural disaster, just to name a few.
“I’m a Hoosier, but I feel more like a citizen of Earth, rather than any nationalistic allegiance. International relations at UIndy got me here and got me this job where anyone who walks in the door is just as deserving as I am to peace, freedom, and a life.” —Cole Varga ’10 (International Relations), CEO Exodus Refugee Immigration
$10 million nonprofit with more than 85 employees, has never been more difficult because of headwinds at both the national and state levels. Last year, Exodus helped nearly 900 refugees find a home in Central Indiana, along with almost 3,000 other refugees who have been here for more than a year. From welcoming them at the airport and finding an apartment, to explaining
“Immigration is a lot more complicated than what is being portrayed in the news,” said Varga. “They’re not coming here to steal our jobs or wreck America. They are coming here because they see how great life can be here. We should be honored that they picked
how to build a résumé or set up an email account, to finding a doctor or navigating a new high school for teen refugees, Exodus staff and volunteers do it all—the very embodiment of UIndy’s motto, “Education for Service.”
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MAGAZINE // SPRING 2025
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