Biography
Bhuwan Pyakurel was born in Surey, Bhutan, and completed his primary education at Surey Primary School. At a very young age, while in third grade, he was forced to leave Bhutan with his family due to the King’s "One Nation, One People" policy. As a result, Bhuwan became a refugee at a young age and spent much of his childhood in a refugee camp in Nepal. He completed his high school education in the refugee camp and later pursued his secondary and college studies in the Indian state of Sikkim. Upon finishing his education, Bhuwan served as a teacher in the Bhutanese refugee camp in Nepal before eventually resettling in the United States. In 2009, Bhuwan and his family—his wife Dil and daughter Aditi—were resettled in Colorado. After spending six years in Denver, they relocated to Columbus, Ohio. In 2016, Bhuwan and Dil became naturalized U.S. citizens, an event he considers one of the most significant milestones in his life. In 2019, Bhuwan made history by becoming the first Bhutanese American elected to public office in the United States. He currently serves his second term as a city council member in Reynoldsburg, Ohio. Bhuwan lives with his wife Dil, daughter Aditi and son Dev in his house in Reynoldsburg OH.