Sama Alkilani needed a push. âGrowing up, I was identified as a smart kid,â Alkilani, 23, said Saturday, at a celebration for Women of the World, a Utah volunteer organization that helps refugee and immigrant women achieve self-reliance. Finding motivation was harder for Alkilani, who was born in Iraq, grew up in Jordan, and came to Utah with her family in 2007. Through Women of the World, Alkilani met other refugees like herself.