Refugee and law school grad shares his mission to pay it forward

FREEDOM IN HIS HOMELAND OF SYRIA. NOW HE'S USING IT TO CHANGE LIVES HERE IN THE U.S. >> WHEN I CAME HERE, MY PLAN WAS NOT TO BE A SURDEN ON THE COUNTRY THAT SAVED MY LIFE. THIS IS HOME. >> Reporter: FOR HIM, THE PATH TO A PROMISING LIFE IN CHICAGO BEGAN BACK IN SYRIA WITH A LOVING FAMILY. HIS FATHER OWNED A FURNITURE FACTORY. IN 2011, CIVIL

WAR STARTED IN SYRIA. IHMAD JOINED THE PRO-DEMOCRACY REBELLION. >> I WOULD HAVE BEEN MURDERED ANY DAY. >> Reporter: HE SAYS HE LOST FRIENDS AND RELATIVES IN THE VIOLENCE AND THEN STARTED WORKING WITH INTERNATIONAL MEDIA, SEEN HERE, HIS FACE BLURRED TO SHED LIGHT ON THE WAR. OFF CAMERA, HE LIVED IN HIDING. >> ALL WE WANTED WAS FREEDOM. >> ONE DAY HE SAYS PRO-GOVERNMENT FORCES FOUND HIM. >>

SECRET POLICE THERE PULLED TO THE DOOR. SIX ARMED MEN CAME OUT, HUGE MEN LIKE 6'10", BIG GUYS, LONG BEARDS, AK-47. >> HE SPENT THE NEXT 100 DAYS CAPTIVE, ROUTINELY TORTURED IN A TINY CELL. >> WAS THAT DAILY? >> YEAH. THAT WAS DAILY. WHAT THEY WANTED TO DO WAS BREAK YOU, JUST TO MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE NOTHING. >> HE SURVIVED. >> I AM VERY STUBBORN, AND

IS THE BEACON OF FREEDOM. >> IHMAD REBUILT HIS LIFE, EARNING A DEGREE IN COMPUTER SCIENCE, LANDING A JOB AT DEPAUL UNIVERSITY, WHERE, AS FATE WOULD HAVE IT, HIS OFFICE WAS ACROSS THE WALL FROM CRAIG, ADJUNCT PROFESSOR OF ASYLUM AND REFUGEE LAW. >> AS HE'S WALKING THROUGH WHAT HE WENT THROUGH, ESPECIALLY IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS BEFORE HE LEFT, HOW DOES THAT HIT YOU? >> AMAZING, AWE.

THE POWER OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT TO SURVIVE. >> SUDDENLY, HIS ROAD AHEAD WAS CLEAR. HE'D ENROLL IN LAW SCHOOL AND HELP OTHER REFUGEES AS AN ATTORNEY. >> IT KIND OF REKINDLED THAT FIRE, THE REBEL FIRE. I CALL IT THE REBEL MENTALITY THAT I THINK IT'S TIME TO GO BACK TO WHAT I LIKE TO DO, HELPING PEOPLE. >> AND LAST MONTH, THE REVOLUTIONARY TURNED REFUGEE RECEIVED HIS

LAW DEGREE. NOW A HUSBAND, FATHER AND U.S. CITIZEN SURROUNDED BY FAMILY AND FRIENDS, INCLUDING HIS DAD. BURSTING WITH PRIDE FOR HIS SON, PROOF THAT THE ROAD TO WHERE YOU'RE MEANT TO BE SOMETIMES TAKES YOU A WORLD AWAY TO CONTINUE YOUR FIGHT. >> OUR COUNTRY WAS NOT READY FOR US. AMERICA IS. AMERICA WAS READY FOR US. AMERICA SAID, YOU WILL COME HERE. WE WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE.

I WILL PAY BACK TO THIS COUNTRY. >> SUCH AN HONOR TO MEET HIM. HE IS ON THE ROAD TO AN INCREDIBLE CAREER. RIGHT NOW HE'S STUDYING FOR NEXT MONTH'S BAR EXAM. HE HAS A JOB LINED UP WHERE HE PLANS TO TAKE AS MANY ASYLUM AND IMMIGRATION CASES ALL PRO BONO AND HE WANTS TO EVENTUALLY RUN FOR CONGRESS. AT ONE POINT HE SAID, I DON'T WANT TO

LOOK BACK, IN SYRIA, ESPECIALLY, I DIDN'T WANT TO LOOK BACK AND SEE MYSELF AS A COWARD. NOW HE KNOWS HE'LL LOOK BACK