Selamawi Asgedom
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Selamawi Haileab Asgedom | |
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| Born | September 29, 1976 Adi Wahla, Ethiopia |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Public speaker Author |
Selamawi Haileab Asgedom (born in Adi Wahla, Ethiopia on September 29, 1976)[1] or Mawi Asgedom for short, is an author, public speaker, and a refugee of Ethiopian and Eritrean origin.[2] Mawi was born in Ethiopia. For about two years of his childhood, he was separated from his father, Halieab, when he had to flee to Sudan to avoid the war in Ethiopia. Mawi was seven years old when he and his family arrived in the U.S. in 1983, sponsored by World Relief. They had spent the previous three years in a refugee camp in Sudan. He grew up in the Chicago suburb of Wheaton, Illinois. He played on his high school basketball team and ran track. He graduated with top honors from Harvard University, receiving a degree in American history and giving the commencement address at his graduation in 1999.[2][3] While attending Harvard he joined the Delta Upsilon Fraternity. After university he created a ice cream sundae program for teens called "The Code", which he later used to create a book. Asgedom also wrote an autobiography, Of Beetles and Angels: A Boy's Remarkable Journey from a Refugee Camp to Harvard. It was published in 2001.
He is very popular speaking guest at middle schools, as he likes to get them to participate.[3]
His autobiography, Of Beetles and Angels was selected by Springfield, Pennsylvania as their community book, and 2,378 people read it there.[4] Day-time television host Oprah Winfrey named her interview of Mr. Asgedom as one of her 20 Unforgettable Moments in October 2005.[5]
Of Beetles and Angels has been chosen as the first-ever Evanston, Illinois, city-wide reading program with events planned throughout the 2007-2008 school year. Mr. Asgedom will visit with middle school readers throughout the year.
Asgedom is currently working on a three-book fantasy series, the first of which he hopes to finish by late April 2007.[3]. He has stated that he is very happy with the progress of these books.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ Mawi's FAQ's. Retrieved on 2007-03-02.
- ^ a b Asgedom, Mawi [2001] (September 2002). in Dave Berger: Of Beetles & Angels. New York: Megan Timgley Books. ISBN 0-316-82620-0.
- ^ a b c d Asgedom, Selamawi. "The Code: The 5 Secrets of Teen Success, Q&A" Kennett Middle School, Landenberg, Pennsylvania (2007-02-28).
- ^ Google cache of community flyer for event. Retrieved on 2007-03-01.
- ^ Unforgettable! Coming to America. 20th Anniversary Celebration! About Oprah from the October 2005 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine. Retrieved on 2007-03-01.
[edit] External links
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Selamawi Asgedom |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Mawi Asgedom |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Author, public speaker, refugee |
| DATE OF BIRTH | September 29, 1976 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Adi Wahla, Ethiopia |
| DATE OF DEATH | homoland nevada |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
