Nairobi, Kenya, is a beautiful place to live, but Edman Ahmed’s parents wanted to give her and her siblings more opportunities and so they decided to move to the US.

Edman grew up in Kenya with her siblings, her parents, and her grandparents. Her family is quite large—she has six brothers and four sisters. She enjoyed learning several languages in school, including Arabic, Somali, Swahili, and English. She became very comfortable using multiple languages throughout each day. Surrounded by family, Edman never felt lonely. She was a happy child.

Even though her family had a good life in Kenya, Edman’s parents believed that Edman and her siblings would have more opportunities and benefit more from the American educational system. When Edman was in the second grade, she moved to Wisconsin.

Now, Edman is in high school and is involved with many different after-school programs. Two of her favorite activities include the Pathways Program, where she learns about health careers, and the People Program, which will help her succeed in college. Her hope is to attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison. On the weekends, Edman volunteers at her local food pantry where she organizes donated food and toiletry items. Edman plans to pursue a career in the field of medicine or law so that she can help others every day and make a difference in their lives.