STUDENT SPEAKERS IBRAHIM ABDI GAINELL IRVING Ibrahim Abdi will receive his Bachelorof Arts in international studies with a minor in business. Born and raised in Somalia, his focus has been to help his family,serve his community, and excel in his studies. Mr.Abdi is the youngest of seven siblings and the last to finish college. Coming from civil war-stricken Somalia to the United States, with its radically different culture and values, was a difficult adjustment. However, he overcame the challenges of learning the culture, the educational system,and, most importantly, his own fear of failure. At Portland State University,Mr.Abdi was a member of the Associationof African Students, BlackCultural AffairsBoard, and the Multicultural Center Board. He is in the process of applying for graduate school and plans to study public health and counseling. He hopes to one day make a difference in the lives of those in his community. Gainell Irving's first course at Pordand State University was American Literature, a prerequisite for her English major. The assignments challenged her to think more critically than she ever had before. As Gainell entered into her second term in the University Studies program, she found that the expectation of critical thinking was a constant in Portland State'scurriculum. Transfering to PSUwas an awakening for Ms. Irving. She discovered an affection for feminism and a love for the diversity of the human experience. She shaped a belief system based on what she learned in class, specificallySophomore Inquiry. Ms. Irving became a peer mentor in the University Studies program to help others find their own personal truths. Ms. Irving will pursue a second baccalaureate degree in philosophy this upcoming academic year.Following her studies at PSU,she plans to apply to Lewis & Clark College'senvironmental and natural resources law program.
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