'Immigration is not a dirty word,' Mayor Yemi Mobolade meets with immigrant workers at The Broadmoor

The immigrants who work at The Broadmoor made an immediate impression on Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade.

"I was so blown away this little echo chamber of international culture here in my city that I was unaware of," Mobolade said.

Mobolade had his first stay at The Broadmoor over Memorial Day weekend, where he saw the working population of the hotel for the first time. And he could immediately relate to them.

Mobolade was born in Nigeria and left to pursue higher education in America in August of 1996. In 2010, Mobolade moved to Colorado Springs and founded a church with the Christian and Missionary Alliance. It was not until seven years later in 2017 that he officially became a U.S. citizen.

When staying at The Broadmoor, Mobolade said he was moved by the international presence and the shared American dream stories of all the immigrants who worked there. He spoke about how he "immediately needed to know these people," and made plans to host a Q & A-style event, which took place Thursday evening at The Little Theater, drawing a packed room.

The Broadmoor employs hundreds of employees from more than 23 countries and cultures who are on work visas, giving them a chance at the "American Dream" Mobolade spoke about extensively.

Mobolade dove right into sharing details from his own immigration story from Nigeria, getting emotional while reflecting on the leaders who supported him early on in his life in the U.S., highlighting the impact of welcoming gestures on his personal journey.

"I can't talk about these leaders and not get emotional, because part of the emotion is going back to that moment of feeling isolated, feeling lonely, feeling lost, feeling like nobody, feeling invisible, and to know people, those leaders were a huge part of my flourish," Mobolade said.

After several individuals spoke up to tell pieces of their own immigration story, Mobolade was vulnerable, talking extensively about the anxiety and fear he felt passing through the U.S. Embassy.

"It was an act of God and luck (that I made it through)," Mobolade said referencing how his interview went with U.S. officials.

Others who spoke up talked about the hardships they faced leaving their family and everything they have ever know. However, each and every one spoke about their gratitude to The Broadmoor for giving them a chance, which was met with thunderous applause each time.

"It is hard for a lot of us sometimes ... every mistake tears me up, the last mistake I made I cried so hard," Broadmoor employee Jenniffer Powell from Jamaica said. "However, The Broadmoor has given us those opportunities to work."

Nearly everyone in the audience was smiling ear to ear listening to their co-workers speak up about their story, with some evening tearing up at certain points of the event.

"I am so grateful to actually have this chance to be here in such a beautiful way," Jose Sol, another employee of The Broadmoor, said.

Some employees of The Broadmoor come back each year because of the connections they feel. One employee was thrilled to announce he will coming back for his fifth year next season.

"I've found my family here at The Broadmoor," Alex Gavino, who is from Mexico, said.

Mobolade felt as though the event Thursday night "exceeded his expectations" and left him with hope for the future and a desire to host more similar gatherings.

"I'm sitting on stage going, 'I want to do this again, I really do want to do it again,'" he said.