On February 24, 2021, new Rotary club member Hanan Mohamud gave her classification speech. Hanan was born in Saudi Arabia, moved to Somalia, and then to Egypt. She and her family came to the U.S. through the auspices of World Relief Foundation. First coming to Florida, Hanan and her family found that while Florida was beautiful, it was not all that welcoming to new immigrants. The family decided to move and because her family had a relative living in Faribault (Hanan’s Aunt), the family decided to move here.
Hanan described the difficulties of a newcomer moving to Faribault and noted that Faribault really did not feel like home even though she had lived here for 17 years. She recommended that people should try to talk to people who are different than they are. Speaking about food, kids, etc. are natural topics to discuss to get to know someone and make them feel welcome. She is grateful to be a member of Rotary so she can share her story, help the community, and continue to grow as a person.
Hanan was the first member of her family to graduate from college with a degree in Psychology and has plans to further her education in graduate school. Four months ago, she was blessed with a baby girl, describing her as her ray of sunshine. She has been a leader in Faribault Senior High’s Realizing Individual Student Excellence (RISE) program, providing on-site mentoring and support for Faribault Senior High School students. Hanan spoke of the positive impact RISE has made for students during the pandemic, making involved students feel like they belong to a community and that they can be themselves.
Hanan’s classification speech sparked several questions about how to make Faribault a more welcoming community and how Faribault’s Rotary club can make a difference. Hanan again emphasized how glad she was to be a Rotarian and contribute to making Faribault a better place.
