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Charity Rysak '19 appointed as State Commissioner for New African Immigrants Commission in Ohio

 













Congratulations to Charity Rysak '19 on her recent appointment from Gov. Mike DeWine to be the state commissioner for the New African Immigrants Commission. Charity began her term on December 19th of 2025, and will serve until at least 2028 in this capacity. Charity is originally from Angola, Africa, and she moved to the Canton area almost a decade ago, obtaining her U.S. citizenship in 2022. Charity spent part of her childhood as a refugee in Zambia due to the civil war that was taking place in Angola.

Charity is also a licensed realtor and a substitute teacher. In Charity's new role, she will be advocating for community integration, access to services, and elevating African immigrant voices in policy discussions. Rysak’s long-term goal is executive leadership, where she can shape statewide policy, build sustainable partnerships, and lead community-centered initiatives. Since her time at Malone, she has been heavily involved in civic engagement in Stark County, and her determination to serve her community has led her to this very important role. Charity is grounded by her faith and her family, and is serving Ohio's African communities in a very pivotal way. To read the full story on Charity, click here.


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