Regrettably, I never met Deah, his wife Yusor or her sister Razan.

However, as Wednesday unfolded I learned about each of their accomplishments, generosity and drive to give back to their community. That drive to help others was especially evident at the small Islamic school, Al-Iman, which they all attended as children, as I learned from the principal Sister Musarant Jabeen.

I learned about Deah’s devoted nature to his family, but also to those worse off than him. Before his life was cut short he was channeling his efforts into making a difference in the lives of children abroad, children who were driven out of the now war-torn country his parents once called home, Syria.

Yusor, who had recently been accepted to dental school, had a penchant for curiosity and, in an effort to explain the values of her community, created StoryCorps, which centered around Sister Jabeen and the place of the Al-Iman school in the Triangle Muslim community. 

Razan was incredibly artistic and was interested in pursuing a career in environmental architecture, but also joined her siblings in working at some of North Carolina’s poorest health clinics. In high school, she even served as editor-in-chief of her school newspaper. 

It soon became evident to me that the narrative of their lives was not unfamiliar. Living in a country with a foreign-sounding name and different cultural heritage, I felt like their story was my story. 

The story of families coming from other countries to work hard and build better lives  — not just for themselves, but more importantly their children — is the story of my own family. The differences between us, such as our ethnicity or religion, don’t change that simple fact.

And as immigrants in this country, both the Abu-Salhas and Barakats worked very hard not only to support themselves, but to give back to their communities, and they passed these values on to their children. 

But that’s the thing about their story. It’s not just that I identified with it because of the similar familial background, but because their history is the bedrock of the “American Story.” It’s the story of all Americans. That immigrants can come to this country, work hard, and while their own dreams might not always come true, the dreams of their children will.

The dreams of those families and the personal dreams of Deah, Yusor and Razon were viciously, senselessly and tragically shattered Tuesday night.  And although Deah, Yusor and Razan are no longer with us, it doesn’t mean their dreams cannot serve as examples for the rest of us to follow.