Today we’d like to introduce you to Rashad Ahmed.
Hi Rashad, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My story began when I was born in the beautiful East African country of Somalia. My family relocated to the United States after the devastating civil war that tore Somalia apart in the early 90s. I was fortunate to grow up in America’s finest city of San Diego, California. As a first-generation immigrant, life was rough. Adapting to a new culture, food and language was not easy as you can imagine. I grew up in City Heights known as East San Diego which was one of the roughest neighborhoods for a child like me. There, I picked up a love for sports. Basketball was my favorite sport as I watched Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls dominate the NBA in the 1990s. But, I also started enjoying helping people and finding ways to make them smile. After college, I started to contribute to my community and stay local. I worked with local school districts and community-based organizations that were operating in my community. I understood all of the struggles the youth and their families faced at the time. I gained a lot of useful skills and experience working with minority and immigrant communities in San Diego. In 2018, My colleagues and I founded Metro Youth Diversion center to serve underrepresented communities of color in the Twin Cities. Our goal was to create a strong partnership with youth, families, youth service providers and community stakeholders for the advancement and well-being of our youth as productive and contributing citizens of their communities. Our organization has grown in the past several years and currently runs very impactful programs in the Twin Cities area.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There is nothing smooth about starting a nonprofit organization in Minnesota. As you might know, the nonprofit sector is very complicated and competitive. As a small community-based organization, resources are very scarce and inaccessible. Many of the larger organizations are favored and have access to tremendous resources. After completing our community needs assessment, we found many gaps that needed to be addressed in which some of our programs stemmed from.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
As a nonprofit organization leader, I wear many hats in the organization. It is my duty to make sure the organization continues to operate and serve the youth and the families we currently work with. As a community leader, it is important to build bridges. I am proud of the hard work and dedication our team has shown in the past couple of years to continue to stand strong and serve our most vulnerable community members.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Many people would be surprised to know that I am a huge fan of the game of golf. I used to play a lot more in San Diego. Because of the limited time we can golf in Minnesota, it has been a challenge and more difficult for me to golf. I usually try to go out there during the summer months to get some rounds in. I enjoy the beautiful golf courses that are in the Twin Cities area.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: mydiversioncenter.org
