“She would say that you are here for a season, and a reason.”

Sharif’s Early Life

My name is Salahudin Sharif, born in 1976. I grew up in Kenya, that's where I went to both primary school and secondary school, after I left my country Somalia (1). My dad had 2 wives, which is normal in Africa and in our family we were a total of about 16. I have 9 sisters and 7 brothers. So yeah, that’s a big family and I did not grow up with my mom actually. I grew up with my step mom and it was a little bit of a challenge initially. I think if I added it up,total time frame that I lived with my mom I would say about 7 years max. So I think I’ll probably say that in my early ages I learned responsibility. You know, not living with my mom,  I had an opportunity to showcase myself and I think from early on I had a responsibility on my side to take care of myself, make sure I go to school on time, and make sure that my clothings are in line. I mean, by the age of 10 years old you’re basically integrated into the family business, whether it comes fetching water or going to sell some of the farm produce under the market. Basically you just have to start fetching for yourself by the time you are 10 years old, and by that, what I mean is you either go sell some of the farm produce on the market, or you start selling maybe candies, or you know, something. So, at least you contribute to the family.

On the weekends, maybe Saturdays and Sundays we would normally go to the farm. Which is about, I’m not sure, I would guess about maybe 5 or 6 miles away from where we lived, and we used to walk that distance going to the farm. On Saturdays and Sundays we would work on the farm all day, and carry things from the farm and take them all the way home, 4 or 5 miles. I think at that time I was between 8,9, or 10.

"I went to this job and never had no ride back"

        From Somalia to Kenya, and then from Kenya to the United States. We ended up getting a resettlement program(2) from the United States government, and we moved to Minnesota that way. When I came to Minnesota, I went to community college, after 4 years of adjusting to American life. I finished my AA(3) over at Century College(4), and then moved to Mankato where I then finished up my engineering degree at Minnesota State University Mankato. A bunch of coworkers that I have worked with, touched me and helped me adjust to this lifestyle. I had applied to this job and I said to the job and go to the job, as soon as I came to Minnesota and didn’t have a car. So I went to the job but never had no ride back, and I didn’t know how I’m gonna get back home. So there was this gentleman, who pick me up from my work area and brought me home and he helped me through until I got my car. And he would just give me ride back and forth to work. Some of them were my teachers at Century College. A lady at Mankato State University, a professor over there. And also I think my other workplace helped me as well adjust to this Minnesota life. So it’s really hard to summarize them, but you know it’s something that people sometimes tend to forget, because you think that those are things that are for granted, but they are not. But those are the kind of people that I’m really appreciative for the help.

Salahudin Sharif earning his Engineering degree at Mankato State University in 2008.

I worked in TCF Bank, and I worked as a shuttle driver(5) while I was going to Mankato State. When I was going to Century College, my first two years I worked in Assembly lines. I was working full time for the first two years, but the last 2 years I wasn’t working full time. I was just a full time student, but I was working part time as well. Right now I work at 3M(6). I would probably say it is kind of a multi-cultural company, and pretty much you will find all kind of cultures from different continents working over there. It’s a really big company. I’m a process engineer so I work on at least understanding processes and trying to teach employees what they need to do. Sometimes I write the procedure of a process, I do a process evaluation, and we continuously work on continuous improvements, and at the end I have to write some sort of a report and that goes to my manager.

The 3M Corporate Building Salahudin Sharif works at located in Eden Prarie, MN.

Memories of Home

When I think about home, it’s hard to say what I miss actually. Sometimes I miss the culture, sometimes I miss the big gatherings that we used to have, and sometimes I miss the food. But honestly I’ve been here for now almost 12-13 years. So I’ve adjusted to the Minnesota life. One story that I can remember would be when I was going to high school there was these metro phenomenon that was going on over there, and I was there. Tenth grade students had a habit of just bullying the ninth grade students. And it was a big event. So when I was transitioning from primary school to high school, it was very difficult for me to be in that kind of environment where my older fellow students were bully other younger students who were coming in.

The Boarding School in Kenya that Salahudin Sharif attended when he was a child.

In high school I remember that I never had the privilege of having my own meal the time that I wanted to eat. So basically, you know it’s like a military camp almost. You wake up at 5 o’clock and you have a cup of tea, and then you go to assembly, and then you go to class at 7 o’clock. You’re done around 10 o’clock, and then you have another cup of tea and a slice of bread. And then you go back to class again and lunch is around 12-1 o’clock for one hour. The school had about 1000 students, and it’s really chaotic when it comes to lunch. 1,000 students come to lunch at the same time. You have your own cup and you have your own bowl that you can put your food in, and you line up and you wait till all the big kids eat first and sometimes food may not be left and you might not eat. So depending on how much school money or pocket money you have, you have to go to the canteen and buy something to eat and if you don’t have it you just have to wait till dinner.

Educational Influences

I think the most important person in my life was my cousin, who was older than me by a couple years. He was the one who actually influenced me, to where I got today. He was a very hardworking person, and he was raised by my dad, and he was living with us and he valued education so much. He help himself all the way through and went to primary school, high school, and ultimately finished college and he ended up working in a big company. You know he went through the same school that I went to. I mean primary school. But he ended up teaching my school while I was in that school. So back then when he went to school, it was like from 1 to 7th grade and then he would go to high school for another 6 years so we have like 7 years of primary school and then 6 years of high school. And when he finished his high school he came back to teach in the school I was at. He seemed very sharp and people liked him. All of a sudden he was this young man who was very respectful and working for one year waiting to go to a university. All his university schools and books could be paid off and he’s not bragging about it but people were talking about him all the time. Ya know like “look at this guy” he was here a couple days ago and just finished high school and finished his primary classes and now he is teaching and able to go to a university. So he just became an instant, I wouldn’t say celebrity, but what do you call it. This small town…[hero].

Kids and Life Now

When I came here [to Minnesota] I was single person so I came by myself, and now I am a dad of four kids. Five kids actually. Is it five or six? It’s Five I’m sorry (laughs). Ya know, I can speak of myself but as far as what my kids will do, I want them to decide whatever they want to do. I want them to cover their own career. I want them to cover their own way of living. I want them to do what is good for them. As far as I’m concerned, I don’t know, if I end up going back to school and learn some more things about public health. I’ll probably go to some sort of mentoring. I don’t know when, but it’s back in my head that one day I’ll go make a difference. There are few things right now that I’m thinking about. But when I was growing up in small village, I never had an opportunity ignite. That was because there was no light. So now that I know a little bit more, I can create some sort of a solar panel(7) that is added by a couple of light bulbs. I think it will make a difference for somebody. So those are the kind of things I am thinking about. But I don’t know when or how I am going to do them, but  I just feel like I want to try to give an opportunity to 100, 200, 300 kids, and just give them one light bulb.

Salahudin Sharif and his oldest daughter Salma.

A Message to Take Away

I think that we covered everything, I’m just waiting for you guys to write the book and send me a copy. (Laughs) The thing that I would probably add would be an advice to you guys in your first year at school is to take advantage of the opportunities you have. It is [a] huge opportunity and people are dying to get this kind of opportunity. Literally dying. So I hope you never take it for granted. If you can influence anybody, whether cousins, friends, or whoever. Remind them of this opportunity, that this is very very valuable. And I will probably conclude with one of the thing I heard from one of my teachers back home. Every morning when we would line up to go to class. She would say that “you are here for a season, and a reason.” And it was true, I was there for only a couple seasons. And only one reason there. So you guys [first year students] will be also here at the U of M. Only for a season, 4 years before you will be gone, and for a reason. So make sure you take advantage of it.

Footnotes

1. The Civil War in Somalia broke out during the 1980s. Sharif’s family, among many others, were the first to leave war-torn Somalia and settle in neighboring Kenya where it was much safer. Sharif’s family lived in the small town of Mandera,Kenya just miles away from the Somali border. A large Somali population lived there and continues to do so.
2. A program through the United States government that provides refugees from third world countries assistance and helps bring them to the US as well as adjust to the lifestyle. 
3. An undergraduate degree offered by community colleges.
4.  A community college located in White Bear Lake, Minnesota where Sharif attended 4 years after coming to MN. 
5.  Sharif worked as a shuttle driver at Holiday Inn on the weekends while attending Mankato state. He relied heavily on tips considering the hourly wage wasn’t that much. 
6. A national corporation founded in Maplewood Minnesota, 3M sends thousands of products such adhesives, medical products, etc to over 200 countries worldwide.
7. When Sharif was younger, there was a limited amount of electricity in his house. Lack of electricity made it hard for him to study and read when it was dark, he was always interested in designing a solar panel when he grew up to help families like his that relied on electricity.              

Image references (in order of appearance)

1) Sharif, Salahudin graduation photo from Mankato State, circa 2008. Provided October 1, 2015.

2) 3M headquarters. Sharif's workplace. Picture found from Google images.

3) Sharif's boarding school, DEP. Picture found from Google images.

4) Sharif and his daughter Salma. Circa 2001. Provided October 1, 2015.

Story Facilitators: Taylor Williamson & Salma Ibrahim