• News
  • Business
  • Donate
  • Features
    • Opinions
    • Arts & Style
    • Video
    • Photos
    • Interviews
    • Audio
  • About Us
  • New Americans Business Magazine
  • Contact
  • News
  • Business
  • Donate
  • Features
    • Opinions
    • Arts & Style
    • Video
    • Photos
    • Interviews
    • Audio
  • About Us
  • New Americans Business Magazine
  • Contact
Popular
Recent
Comments
Tags
  • U. S. 2020 Diversity Immigrant Visa Program opens Wednesday, Oct, 3

    October 1, 2018

    Feyi Tolani: An Advocate-In-Nursing

    November 1, 2018

    America’s Immigration Debate: The “Danger of Telling a Single Story.”

    February 13, 2017
  • Community Center Playgrounds Opens Registration fo ...

    May 12, 2025

    Ohio Tourism Day Holds May 15

    May 10, 2025

    Columbus Department of Neighborhood Appoints 8 Nei ...

    May 9, 2025
  • Good job, sir!

    January 12, 2021

    I'm call Haji I live the dadaab comp I am a refuge ...

    October 12, 2020

    Narayan vai, you spoke the truth about the importa ...

    September 6, 2020
  • Zora's House Zoning Code Zimbabwe Youths Youth of the Year Youth Foundation Youth Development of Columbus Youngstown Younger Ohioans Young At Art You Don’t Know Yoruba Club 21 Yoga International Day Yoga Day Yoga and Marathon X Gender Passport Wuyue Dance Worthington Christian School World Refugee Day World Radio Day World Mental Health Day World Hygiene Day World Hijab Day World Food Day World Cup 2022
  • Community Center Playgrounds Opens Registration fo ...

  • Ohio Tourism Day Holds May 15

  • Columbus Department of Neighborhood Appoints 8 Nei ...

  • Bill Gates: 20 Years To Give My Wealth Away

  • Lt. Governor Tressel Announces Expanded Access to ...

  • The Ballot Box: A Kaleidoscope of Our Collective C ...

  • Governor DeWine Rejoices With The New Pope Leo XIV

  • Kiriji Memorial College Set of 1972 Seeks Educatio ...

  • COTA Expands Late-Night Service Hours

  • Mother’s Day Sales Projected to Reach $34.1 ...

  • COTA Expands Late-Night Service Hours

  • Kiriji Memorial College Set of 1972 Seeks Educatio ...

  • Governor DeWine Rejoices With The New Pope Leo XIV

  • The Ballot Box: A Kaleidoscope of Our Collective C ...

  • Lt. Governor Tressel Announces Expanded Access to ...

  • Bill Gates: 20 Years To Give My Wealth Away

  • Columbus Department of Neighborhood Appoints 8 Nei ...

  • Ohio Tourism Day Holds May 15

  • Community Center Playgrounds Opens Registration fo ...

  • Mother’s Day Sales Projected to Reach $34.1 ...

Previous Next

Awarding scholarships to High School graduates yearly is SomaliCAN signature tune  – Jibril Mohamed

Posted by: New Americans Magazine , July 11, 2018

Jibril Mohamed checked his work schedule, ticked the accomplished ones and made some calls to confirm invited guests to the Somali Graduation and Scholarship program in July 2018. This is a typical day for the City of Columbus commissioner and Ohio State University professor, who is currently working on his Ph.D. He spoke with the New Americans on his works and dreams: –

I am a Somali professor at the Ohio State University where I served as the faculty adviser for the Somali Students Association. I also serve as the director of Somali Community Access Network (SomaliCAN), a community development organization that facilitates the economic, social and political incorporation of the Somali community and other New American groups in Ohio. SomaliCAN’s signature programs include the Somali Graduation and Scholarship program which awards 11 scholarships to high school graduates every year. I earned my Bachelor’s degree with honors at the at the University of Nairobi’s School of Economics and my Master of Public Policy and  Management at the John Glenn College of Public Affairs at the Ohio State University where I am currently working on my PhD.

I was recently appointed as a Columbus Community Relations Commissioner and a member of the Columbus City Schools Facilities Task Force.  In addition to my local presence, I also work to support the recovery of my country of birth, Somalia, which has gone through years of anarchy and conflict. I serve as a member of the State Advisory Board for the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition and I regularly visit Capitol Hill to advocate for greater U.S. role in global affairs and an increase in the international affairs budget. I live in Columbus with my wife and children.

Columbus

I came from Kenya to Columbus in 2005. The city was so welcoming that I decided to work, establish a family and pursue further education. Soon after I arrived in 2005, I attended a training workshop for new interpreters and accepted a position as a Somali interpreter with the Community Refugee and Immigration Services where I later on served as an employment counselor. I also worked as a Resource Coordinator at the Buckeye Ranch, a youth service organization and held a role in youth policy and program development in the State of Ohio. The opportunity to interact with people in their homes, workplaces, social service agencies, courts and other spaces to help them access services, find jobs and address community concerns equipped me with a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities that confront the Somali community and other New Americans that I decided to further my education in order to have a greater impact. In 2012, I earned my Master’s degree in Public Policy and Management from the John Glenn College of Public Affairs at the Ohio State University.

SomaliCAN

It is during my college days that I founded the nonprofit SomaliCAN with the help of other prominent members of the Somali community. The vision of the organization was to serve as a catalyst for community integration based on the realization that grassroots leadership is the most critical factor in immigrant integration. Yes, there are people who have years of experience working with diverse communities. They have the knowledge but they lack the experience of living like a refugee. For instancce, one can learn the Ohio motor vehicle laws inside and out but still  face a challenge when it comes to the practice of driving a car.  People will need experience in order to become real drivers. Likewise, experience as a refugee is an advantage in providing services to other refugees.  In a recent study commissioned by the Columbus City Council, the researchers at the OSU College of Social Work concluded that:

“New Americans are more likely to reach out to Community Based Ethnic Organizations for assistance as compared to mainstream Human Service Organizations due to linguistic and cultural proximity. Therefore, investing in the development of these grassroots leaders can accelerate progress and have ripple effects across New American populations.”

With more than 50,000 Somali residents in Columbus, Somalis form the largest refugee population in Ohio and Somali is the number one language spoken at home by students in the Columbus City Schools system. SomaliCAN works to help the larger community attain greater cultural awareness push for investments in grassroots leadership/youth programs and workforce development to facilitate the economic, social and political incorporation of the Somali community and other New Americans.

Commissioner

Mayor Andrew Ginther appointed me to the Community Relations Commission on May 22, 2018 following a unanimous vote by the Columbus City Council.   I attended my first full Commission meeting on April 24, 2018.

The Columbus Community Relations Commission was established in 1990 to help bring civic leaders, business leaders, citizens and elected officials together on issues of ethnic, racial and cultural diversity.  The role of the Commissioner is to recommend ways and means of initiating and improving city government programs designed to eliminate discrimination. The Commission is mandated to promote the development of mutual understanding and respect among all racial, religious, nationality, cultural and ethnic groups in the City of Columbus and to receive, investigate and evaluate discrimination complaints from anyone.

It is an honor to serve my city as a Commissioner. I think I can give a voice to issues of concern to my fellow Somali, Muslim, African, black and immigrant communities. I am also honored to serve on a Commission that ensures that no person is deprived of equal services by city government by reason of discrimination.

Haldoor

One program now under development is the Haldoor Program, which is designed to prepare young Americans of Somali descent to take leadership roles in the classroom, in the workplace and in the community, through intensive leadership workshops with a cohort of their peers, and individualized academic advising by experts in the field of education.  Recent graduates of the Haldoor Program will then be paired with junior and senior high school students in Columbus, enabling them to make good decisions about their educational future.  Both cohorts will combine to establish the Haldoor Network, an interconnected group of young people who are passionate about and engaged in their community, and who can reach out to the wider community to solve problems, find support, and make positive changes in the world around them.  SomaliCAN recognizes the need for developing the potential of second generation immigrants, and this program will address that need.

Post Views: 4,883

Tags: Jibril Mohamed

Share!
Tweet

New Americans Magazine

About the author

Deba Uwadiae is an international journalist, author, global analyst, consultant, publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the New Americans Magazine Group, Columbus, Ohio. He is a member of the Ohio Legislative Correspondents Association, OCLA.

Related Posts

A journalist for new Americans: Nigerian American finds role with Columbus immigrants

By Peter Gill, Columbus Dispatch Newspaper Deba Uwadiae, the editor and publisher of The N ...

Community Health Centers attend to all regardless of status – Dr. Buhari Mohammed, CEO HOFHC

After excelling in highly revered subjects like Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, in A Levels at ...

Ghanaian-American Princess Kuevor shares her journey of being a gun owner

By Okon Ekpenyong A Columbus, Ohio resident and Ghanaian American Princess Kuevor, a gun owner, ...

Amy Harcar focuses lens on White Hall City Councilmember At-Large in 2023 Elections

After graduating from college, Amy M Harcar desired to do something to give back to the communi ...

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Popular
Recent
Comments
  • U. S. 2020 Diversity Immigrant Visa Program opens Wednesday, Oct, 3

    October 1, 2018

    Feyi Tolani: An Advocate-In-Nursing

    November 1, 2018

    America’s Immigration Debate: The “Danger of Telling a Single Story.”

    February 13, 2017
  • Community Center Playgrounds Opens Registration fo ...

    May 12, 2025

    Ohio Tourism Day Holds May 15

    May 10, 2025

    Columbus Department of Neighborhood Appoints 8 Nei ...

    May 9, 2025
  • Good job, sir!

    January 12, 2021

    I'm call Haji I live the dadaab comp I am a refuge ...

    October 12, 2020

    Narayan vai, you spoke the truth about the importa ...

    September 6, 2020

Archives

  • May 2025
  • April 2025
  • March 2025
  • February 2025
  • January 2025
  • December 2024
  • November 2024
  • October 2024
  • September 2024
  • August 2024
  • July 2024
  • June 2024
  • May 2024
  • April 2024
  • March 2024
  • February 2024
  • January 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • August 2023
  • July 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016

Contact Form


1+1=


American international journalist and author of "The Immigrant on Columbus Way: A True Life Guide To Settling Down As A New Immigrant To America "

Current/Past Issues

  • DailyNews
  • Hotels
  • Hotwire
  • Merchantic
  • Reference
  • Thesaurus
  • Urbanspoon

All used images are licensed by The New Americans Magazine.

Copyright © 2024 The New Americans Magazine | Layout and design by LiQiD inc