Ahmed Abdullah
Quick Facts
Age: 23
Pronouns: He/him
Major: Strategic Communication
Place of birth: Sweden
Notable: First-generation college student
Languages: Somali, Swedish
Transfer Institution: Associate of Arts DTA in Communication, Seattle Central College
“Civility to me is respecting people, being kind to people, and standing up for what is right; a short conversation being polite, understanding, and helpful is all it takes. ”
Service & Work:
South Seattle College - Part-time Campus Security 2023-2024
Volunteer Experience Stockholm
Hagersten Beach 2021 June-August (contributed to crowd management and volunteered at an outdoor pool park during Covid)
Securitas AB Security Officer (Stockholm , Sweden 2021-2022)
Awards & Honors:
Seattle Colleges Tuition Support Award International Students
Phi Theta Kappa member
Deans list : Fall 2022, Winter 2023
President's list : Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Winter 2024, Spring 2024
Seattle Colleges Foundation Scholarship 2023
Seattle Colleges Tuition Support Award International Students
William Wilton Scholarship -Broadway High School Alumni Scholarship for Transfer Students - 2024-2025
Ahmed’s Story
My name is Ahmed Abdirashid Abdullah, and I'm an international student from Sweden. I was born and raised in Stockholm to Somali immigrant parents who moved to Sweden in the early 90s following the Somali civil war. Growing up as the second eldest in a family of five siblings, I had to navigate life as a second-generation immigrant, supporting my parents in a way I could and helping my younger siblings have the opportunities I didn’t. It was challenging to find direction, but witnessing my parents work tirelessly not only to support our family but also to send money back home to their own relatives motivated me to overcome any doubts I had.
I grew up in a diverse neighborhood on the outskirts of Stockholm; I was surrounded by families with immigrant backgrounds from all over the world, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and many other places. This diverse environment shaped my worldview, and I had nothing but fun and happy memories from my childhood. But as I grew older my experiences as a Black Somali man in Sweden became more apparent as I attended high school further into the city. It was there that I encountered segregation and negative media portrayals firsthand. I did not realize actually how segregated my city was, and I frequently found myself being profiled by the police and always asked questions about where I was heading or what I was doing whenever I saw them. It made me realize how all the negative media representation of my neighborhood created stereotypes and biases.
Despite the crime issues in my neighborhood, there were many community initiatives to try to decrease these problems but that rarely gained media exposure. That unfortunate experience led me to find my passion which is to make the world a fairer and more equal place by ensuring accurate and fair representation of underrepresented communities. I want to showcase the positive stories that often go untold. I've seen great things happening in my neighborhood, with people from diverse backgrounds coming together to support each other, yet these stories rarely make the headlines. That is why I am pursuing a Communications and Media degree here at Seattle University.
After graduating high school in 2019, I remember working many different jobs while trying to figure out what I wanted to do or study. When COVID-19 hit, I saw many people unemployed, and with my family at home, I started looking into studying abroad and getting away from that reality. I thought of my grandmother and aunt in Seattle and decided to move here. I worked for a year saving up money, figuring out the student visa process, and applying to schools. Finally, I moved to Seattle in 2022 and started studying at Seattle Central College. This was a significant leap out of my comfort zone; I had to quickly adapt to studying only in English, navigate a new education system, and become more extroverted. However, this experience has enriched my life and shown me how I can adapt to any situation no matter how difficult it might seem. I believe that everything happens for a reason, and all my challenges and rejections have led me to where I am today. I am excited about what the future holds.
Mission & Goals
As a communication and media/strategic comm major, I want to advocate for fair and equal representation of marginalized groups in the media. I want to work with different media organizations and help them offer more fair and equal representation of marginalized groups. I want to showcase and highlight the untold stories of marginalized communities and show people that despite being underfunded and facing challenges, they possess so much potential and that there is a bright side that is often overlooked.
