MAWI ASGEDOM VISITS TAS
By Grace Cheng, Director of College Counseling
and Classmate of Mawi Asgedom at Harvard
“Everyone has a story.”
This was the inspirational message that Mr. Mawi Asgedom, author of Of Beetles & Angels, left TAS upper and middle school students and faculty when he visited the school in October. Speaking about his remarkable life story of being a refugee from Ethiopia, traveling through the wilderness to a refugee camp in Sudan, and being sponsored by a humanitarian organization that brought his family to Chicago, Illinois, USA, Mawi reminded the TAS community that each individual has an ability to have an impact on others, bringing his or her own dreams, goals and background as powerful reasons to do great things for the world.
“What’s your reason?”
Mawi shared that he keeps an “Inspiration Folder” into which he puts things that remind him of what is important in his life. These memories and keepsakes inspire him and push him to be all he can be. Recounting his experience of moving from Africa to the US and having to navigate between different cultures and languages, he showed our community how he learned to view himself from a position of strength. He learned to realize that features, which made him different amongst his peers, made him special and became attributes he was proud to share with others.
“I see you.”
When Mawi first arrived in the US, life was not easy with a name his classmates thought sounded like “Salami”. To this day, Mawi still remembers one family who invited him to his first ever childhood birthday party and did not treat him like he was invisible. The title of his book inspires us to look around our community to see those whom others might see as “beetles.” When one is able to look beyond differences and give others opportunities that they have never been exposed to, one becomes an “angel” for life.
Mawi also challenged us to think about abstract principles that may differ in understanding across cultures and generations. Concepts such as freedom, self-expression, openness, authority, time and control affect how we view the world and view each other. By understanding how to navigate between expectations one has for oneself and those that others have imposed allows us to be better global citizens ready for the world after TAS. With strength, confidence and openness, Mawi found great success as a history major at Harvard University on a full scholarship.
“Whose life are you going to improve?”
Our TAS community is honored to have had Mawi Asgedom with us for three full days visiting classrooms, signing books and speaking to parents, students and faculty. Reminding us that there are students and parents currently living in refugee camps that will never be exposed to what we experience daily, our community has the power and ability to channel all the opportunities here to do great things. He encouraged us to take the gifts we are given to create opportunities for ourselves and for others.
“Earn that sandwich!”
If anyone runs into Mawi Asgedom in an airport somewhere, don’t forget to tell him that you saw him at TAS, liked his speech and learned something from what he had to share. In turn, Mawi the angel might even buy you a sandwich! Thank you to our PTA for being able to sponsor his visit to our school.