Alumna Saciido
Saciido’s journey begins in Somalia, where she was born and raised during her early childhood. Unfortunately, the place she called home was engulfed in violence and civil war in the early 90's, forcing her to flee with her mother and six other siblings.
Saciido and her family faced many hardships in their pursuit of safety. They were held captive, lost loved ones, and were forced to build a temporary home from mud on the border of Somalia and Kenya.
Once Saciido and her family arrived in the United States as refugees, they began to rebuild their life, learning English and trying their best to navigate a new culture. When it came time for college, Saciido chose Minneapolis College because of its diverse and welcoming community. She first studied nursing, one of the most admired majors in her community.
However, after realizing she is more passionate about education and advocacy work, she changed paths to study urban education.
"Minneapolis College and my inspiring professors opened the gates to so many possibilities. It's where I began building long term, professional relationships. My time at Minneapolis College showed me the way forward."
She later transferred to Metro State where she earned her bachelor's degree in social science.
After working in the nonprofit and advocacy space, the ill-health, discrimination, and violence Somali youth face in the Twin Cities became extremely prevalent to her. She started the Ummah Project to address these issues. The Ummah Project is a nonprofit that works to secure scholarship, internship, and mentorship opportunities for Somali youth.
She has written and passed multiple pieces of legislation to secure funding for workforce development, crime prevention, and a leadership skill building pilot program. The Ummah Project hopes to one day build a health and recreation center in Northeast Minneapolis that is consistent with Islamic ethics and is welcoming to both Muslims and non-Muslims.
Her work with youth earned her an appointment to the Minnesota Juvenile Justice Advisory Council from former Governor Dayton. In 2018, she received the DFL Women Hall Of Fame Rising Star award and was named by BBC as "100 Most Influential Somali Women Worldwide." Her work has been featured by many news outlets including the BBC, the New York Times, the Atlantic, the Star Tribune, and City Pages, just to name a few.
She cites the support of her mother, her faith, and her children as some of her inspirations to keep going despite hurdles and past trauma. We are grateful to be a part of Saciido's journey and are so proud of her impressive community building work!