Should I open the door and unleash Godzilla and her demon child on the household? Nope, not going to happen. “Hadia, I’m sorry,” I say,… Read More
College Essay: My Family’s Translator
Tag Archives: Voices
College Essay: Breaking the Cycle
“Ponte las pilas mija, puedes ser todo lo que quieras,” my mom always told me. She never failed to remind me to get myself together… Read More
College Essay: Teamwork Matters
“Mine!” The ball comes flying to our side of the net and my team- mate receives it, bumping it to the setter. Late in the… Read More
College Essay: Overcoming Disappointment
I remember reading a book that taught me how a strong person recovers after failure. A weak mindset allows failure to consume them and evolve… Read More
College Essay: Truly Myself
Everyone in elementary school thought of middle school as this nuanced version of “High School Musical.” Unfortunately, that didn’t end up being the case for… Read More
College Essay: Connecting with Native Roots
One hundred years ago, what I did last month would have been illegal. A few students from the Native Youth Council and I spent a… Read More
College Essay: Loving My Reflection
I grew up with the idea that lighter skin equated to beauty. Many people in the Somali community push the narrative that in order for… Read More
Can Gen Z, Life and Work Balance?
Despite what we’ve heard about the workforce and climbing the corporate ladder, achieving a “work-life balance” is not a skill most of us learn in… Read More
Their Mission: Telling Untold Stories
St. Thomas professors Kari Zimmerman and Paola Ehrmantraut created Walking Together, a digital research hub studying immigration, migration and displacement in Minnesota. Zimmerman, an associate… Read More
Learning to Love My Hue
Ever since my youngest sister was born, I never thought my skin was the one thing I would hate. In my family of dark skins,… Read More
My Hijab, My Pride
Ding! Ding! Ding! I woke up after hearing my phone buzz. I opened my eyes and picked up my phone to see headlines that surprised… Read More
Podcasts: A New Pastime
During the pandemic we had to adjust to changes and try new things. One of the things I tried was listening to podcasts. Before the… Read More
Carrying My Family’s Legacy
I’ve always wondered how a murderer becomes a murderer. Murder is part of my family’s story. Let’s back up. Mass killings in Ethiopia began in… Read More
The Golden Rule
As I type these words, tears fill my eyes because the past year has been a struggle for me. In fact, it has been the… Read More
Overcoming Online School Challenges
As an eighth-grader I was looking forward to high school. Usually eighth-grade discussions are around what we expect high school to be. But instead, we… Read More
Who Gets to Be in College Readiness Programs?
After a year of distance learning, I returned to Patrick Henry High School this fall as a junior, delighted to be learning in person. Junior… Read More
