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YAN – Dearborn, MI

 

I am Mohamed Khashafa. An optimistic Yemeni-American, devoted to traditional values, unaware of what the world has in mind for me. My story starts in Detroit, Michigan where I was born and lived most of my life. Growing up my parents always stressed the importance of education and made sure to instill a burning passion for my education that I carry until this day. In my mind there has never been another option. They motivated me to work my hardest, so I can show my them that all their hard work is not going to waste. Thanks to all the hard work my parents put forth I graduated Edsel Ford Highschool with a cumulative 3.9 and will be attending Michigan State University in the fall on a full-ride scholarship.

Another prominent figure in my life is my grandfather. He came to the United States in the 70s to work for Ford Motor Company, and helped shape who I am today. I recall being fourteen in my grandfather’s basement watching the news, witnessing the horrid tragedies being inflicted across the Middle East. Everyday, it was a different country: Syria, Iraq, Libya, Egypt, Yemen. Through those images I felt the pain of my people, and was baffled about the little action taken to aid an entire region of the world. I began advocating for these issues regularly, and one day my grandfather asked me, “What will you do for your people?” This statement has stuck with me, and from that day on I’ve been determined to figure out how I can help my people in the Middle East find relief.

I plan on combining Global Public Health with Middle Eastern Studies, to use both disciplines in unison to provide relief for my people.  I am passionate about working towards humanitarian aid work in the Middle East, and Global Public Health is exactly that. With Global Public Health, I can broaden my program of study to include world issues and learn how to promote healthy equity, human rights, and social and environmental justice in a global context. Inshallah the Middle East will see peace one day, and I want to be there on the forefront helping every step of the way. ,

 
  
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