Jonathan Starr grew up in a middle class family, where he was an excellent young student until a terrible public middle school nearly destroyed his spirit. He would eventually recover his academic desire, but the knowledge of a bad school’s impact remained. After college, he worked Wall Street jobs for about a decade, including starting and leading his own investment firm. Having made some money, Jonathan Starr donated a large chunk to open and lead a boarding school in East Africa that he named the Abaarso School of Science and Technology. That’s where he lived for much of the year “until we achieved international success and reached sustainability. I then moved back to the US permanently, where I now have 3 children,” Jonathan Starr, who has now started Columbus Noor Mastery Academy, told Deba Uwadiae, Publisher, New Americans magazine. 

How did you come into promoting education?

My time leading Abaarso proved to me what I suspected was the case – children anywhere can succeed so long as they have a school providing the right environment. What’s more, there’s almost nothing we can do that is more powerful than educating those who would otherwise not receive it. After all, educated children grow up to be successful adults who pass that education down to their own children. In that respect education creates positive generational change. We already see that with Abaarso alumni who are raising their own young families in far better conditions for success than how they grew up. What’s more, they can impact the wider society, which we are also seeing. Among other professions, Abaarso alumni are teachers, government officials, entrepreneurs, health care workers, and engineers. Several are even leading schools both in the US and Africa. 

Why did it start in Somaliland and not in America?

After 32 years in America, I was ready to experience something completely different. In that respect, Somaliland did not disappoint. In addition, I felt that Somaliland was more of a clean slate, with tremendous opportunity should we succeed. Indeed, that too seems to be playing out well. Abaarso now includes the original boarding school, a women’s boarding teachers’ college, and a chain of Montessori-inspired schools.

Looking back, how would you describe Abaarso?

Abaarso is proof of what Margaret Mead once said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” The Abaarso faculty gave everything they had to see their students succeed. When the students felt this love they too dedicated themselves to becoming their best. Working together they accomplished what folks previously thought impossible. Before Abaarso, it had been three decades since a citizen of Somaliland or Somalia had received a scholarship to a US university. Abaarso has now had over 350 students receive scholarships to universities globally, earning over $55 million in scholarships and financial aid. They have gone to and graduated from the best universities in the world, including Harvard, Yale, MIT, and Cambridge. Now, many Abaarso alumni are giving back, including teaching Somali students at home and in the US. This includes Abaarso alumni teaching at Noor Academy!

Abaarso must have motivated your starting Columbus Noor Mastery Academy. Why Columbus and not other cities?

It is absolutely true that Abaarso’s success made me question why American education is so weak in so many places. I know from Abaarso that it just doesn’t need to be this way. In 2023 I helped open Surad Academy in Faribault, Minnesota, a town of about 25,000 with a lot of Somalis who were falling far behind. Surad is now in its 3rd year, and it is absolutely thriving. Despite coming from low income and English Language Learning households, Surad’s students are already outperforming the local district in state testing. When compared to English Language Learners in Minnesota, the difference is also dramatic. Surad students are taking charge of their education, and they are proud of their results. When one steps into Surad Academy they feel hope, positivity, and above all else, a whole lot of learning.

Having achieved success with Somalis in Minnesota, it seemed Columbus was a natural next step. Our intention is to follow the same path as Surad, ultimately inspiring a community to see their children as capable of competing with anyone.

How has it been since Columbus Noor Mastery Academy started and why the name Noor?

Noor is the Arabic word for “light”, and we hope Noor will be a beacon of light to those who feel Columbus education is not meeting their needs. Noor’s faculty is entirely made up of talented self-made individuals who know what it means to start with little and yet achieve great educational outcomes. They are intensely focused on seeing each student meet his or her potential. They are also exactly the kind of role models parents should want for their children. With that said, it isn’t easy to put a new school together, and we had to deal with surprise roadblocks, such as Columbus City Schools rejecting bussing for all our students. We now have all our own transportation in place and are picking students up right at their homes, but that is still an example of the challenges we’ve faced.

What are the expectations?

Our expectations for Noor are the same as the expectations I have for any school I work with, which is for our students to be prepared for a lifetime of success. We are expecting our students to achieve more than they and their families previously deemed possible. It won’t be quick, and it won’t be easy, but I do believe we can meet these expectations. At Noor we are looking for families who want more for their children.  We are looking for families who will partner with us in an obsessive drive to see their children succeed. It is this individualized focus on each student that will make Noor succeed.

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