World Relief: Coming Full Circle
About twenty years ago an organization called World Relief helped my family come from a Sudanese refugee camp to Illinois. When we arrived in the U.S., they helped us register for school, find housing, and acclimate in countless other ways.
Sometimes life comes full circle in beautiful ways. Several weeks ago, I spoke at a fundraiser for World Relief and we raised almost $100,000. As I looked around the room, at people of all races and income levels, I remembered that I have life and opportunity because someone who lived continents away—someone who didn't know me from Adam—believed that I deserved freedom and opportunity.
- City of College Dreams:
A Very Brief Biography
Mawi Asgedom has written four books that are used in thousands of classrooms across North America and spoken to over 500,000 students and educators. A nationally recognized youth educator, Mawi is the founder of Mental Karate, a training organization that challenges youth to create their own inspiring journeys.
Mawi has hosted a yearlong teen series on PBS Chicago and many prominent media outlets have featured him including The Oprah Winfrey Show, ESSENCE (one of "The 40 Most Inspiring African-Americans"), Ebony (one of "30 Black Leaders Under 30"), Chicago Tribune, The Boston Globe, and Harvard Magazine.