Today we’d like to introduce you to Warsan Artan.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Warsan. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I left Kenya and came to the United States in April 2006. My family left Somalia due to the civil war and resettled in Nairobi, Kenya. Years later, we came to San Diego under refugee status. I have been involved in student government for about two years at San Diego State University which gave me the opportunity to not only advocate for student needs but raise awareness and encourage political engagement. For example, I assisted with Rock the Vote this year to register students to vote. I love youth advocacy and helping my peers realize their power to change their circumstances – and to change our community. Most recently, I volunteered for the San Diego Community College Board of Trustees, District E campaign, where I met Sean Elo of Youth Will. He was aware of my involvement in student leadership and youth empowerment, so when he built his organization’s team, he invited me to be the youth organizer.
As a Youth Organizer at Youth Will, my responsibilities include collaborating with young people, community leaders and elected officials across San Diego County to create the change we want to see in our community. For instance, just last month, our organization partnered with San Diego County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher to host the region’s first Youth County Budget Forum. And now, I’m in the midst of planning eleven meetings with nonprofit partners to help advocate for the issues our young people care about the most, as outlined in our Youth Bill of Rights.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Not at all. When I first moved to the U.S., I didn’t speak the language. I wish my family and I had access to more resources, such as translation services. After getting a grasp of the English language, my parents would take me to doctors’ appointments, parent-teacher conferences, etc. to translate for them. I wish immigrants (both children & adults) have more access to tutoring/teaching and interpretation resources.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I am continuously amazed by the hard work, leadership and vast potential of the youth in the San Diego community. Working with and empowering youth is, by far, the best part of my job. My work with Youth Will has reinforced how much I love youth empowerment and community engagement.
As a Youth Organizer at Youth Will, my responsibilities include collaborating with young people, community leaders and elected officials across San Diego County to create the change we want to see in our community. For instance, just last month, our organization partnered with San Diego County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher to host the region’s first Youth County Budget Forum. And now, I’m in the midst of planning eleven assemblies with nonprofit partners to help advocate for the issues our young people care about the most, as outlined in our Youth Bill of Rights.
Contact Info:
- Address: 404 Euclid Ave. Suite #329, San Diego, CA 92114
- Website: https://youthwill.org/
- Phone: (619) 569-0610
- Email: hello@youthwill.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weareyouthwill/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WeAreYouthWill/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/weareyouthwill
Image Credit:
Youth Will
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