StC News
Up close with Mohamed Ismacil '18, International student from Somaliland
Mohamed Ismacil '18 opens up about studying abroad and his desire to be a role model for young people in his home country.
Why did you decide to come and study in the United States?
A lot of the people in my country cannot get a high-quality education at home. These people know that it is very competitive to get a job in Somaliland. I wanted to get this opportunity to study abroad to be a role model to the next Somali generation — to show them that migrating from your country and ending up dying in the oceans is not the best solution to find a better future. I want to encourage them to seek as many opportunities as they can ... whether it’s studying abroad, or trying to be productive while you’re at home in Somaliland.
Where are some of the young people from Somaliland migrating to?
People are mostly going through the Sudan and Libya, and illegally going to Europe. They think going to Europe will give them more opportunities and a better chance to make money, which is just not true. A lot of Somali teens are trafficked through Libya and are being sold and enslaved.
You mentioned serving as a role model for the next generation of Somalis. Can you tell us more about how you’d like to help them?
In the future I want to be a human rights activist. There are a lot of people back in Somaliland who do not have a voice because of sexist and racist people. These people use religion to justify their ludicrous actions. I want to study here in the U.S., and then after I finish my studies, I want to go to Islamic college to learn and understand more about the Islamic laws, and then combine both of my experiences and become a college professor. I think that is the best way to influence the next leaders of my country.
How is your faith connected to your sense of purpose?
I always believe that no matter what, God is seeing the good intentions that I have. And God will always be with me. I always act with confidence because God knows that I’m planning to do good things.
What’s life like back at home?
The culture is very different. Here in the U.S., you won’t find relatives visiting you every single day at your home. Back in Somaliland we have so many relatives. Here, you have a first name and you have a last name, and you’re related to anyone on your mother’s side and your father’s side. Back in Somaliland we have 18 names--so, I have my name and 17 other names. So, if someone else tells you their name, they will meet your names at some point and that person will end up being your relative. People are constantly visiting us! Here, a typical American family has three children. Back in Somaliland the average is 10. I have nine brothers and sisters, boy/girl, boy/girl in that order.
What do you do back home for fun?
I love staying around pets and playing with them. I have a dog back in Somaliland, which is unusual because most people dislike dogs. They think that God does not like dogs, but I always say, 'If God does not like dogs, why did God make dogs?'
How does school here compare to school back home?
If I came from a typical school in Somaliland, St. Christopher’s would have been very tough for me. But because I studied in American school back in Somaliland, this helped me a lot. The teachers put a lot of pressure on us to prepare us in case we studied abroad. The workload here is not too much for me, because I’m used to a heavy workload. Back home, I’d even study in my free time.
How is the experience living with a host family?
So far it’s been the best part of my experience in the U.S. Being away from your family and friends is difficult, but getting the nicest host family that you can ever wish for is the luckiest thing that happened to me this year. They always make me feel that I am part of them. They always share everything with me and I do the same for them. Now we are bonded, and we became family.
What kinds of perceptions do people in Somaliland have of the United States?
The attitudes are very negative. A lot of Muslim countries are in chaos, and many people think that the U.S. is the main reason for this. I believed this until I finished my eighth grade year and joined an American school where I got to see a bigger picture. I started getting connected to the teachers who were from different backgrounds and religions.
What kind of support have you felt from this community?
I’m getting a lot of support from my teachers. I like all of my classes and teachers. They are very motivating.
Can you tell us something funny that's happened to you since you've been in the U.S.?
There was one time when I told my host family that I would cook for them, and thought I would make my own juice. I said, “I’m going to make my own cocktail for you.” I went to the store, got my ingredients, and then I made the drink. When I handed it to them, they said, “Oh, this is a smoothie!,” and I was confused. A couple of days ago I told Mrs. Mayer, my Spanish teacher, about what happened and she told me what “cocktail” means to Americans. Then it all made sense!
What kinds of extra-curriculars are you participating in?
In the fall I did Waterman. In the beginning it was scary because I didn’t know how to swim and I’m not a big fan of heights. I was unsure, but still I wanted to do it because I wanted to meet the challenge. It turned out very well, and it ended up being a great experience--going on camping trips, canoeing and rock climbing were amazing. On my first day I was like, 'I cannot do this, I’m afraid I’m going to die!' But eventually I let go of my fear and trusted the cord and did the climb.
Now I’m doing Ampersand. I chose to do that because I wanted to meet more people. We’ve not done much together yet, but I’m sure that will be a great experience.
Earlier this fall during chapel you were asked to hang your country's flag to be counted with the rest of the flags that hang in that space. What did that experience mean to you?
I actually felt something strong right in that moment ... I felt like my country was on my shoulders waiting for me to do a good thing. I felt like I was carrying my nation around the world and bringing attention to my country.
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