Mohamed Hassan: Past, Present, and Future
Past: Mohamed Hassan’s family story begins with flight from a war-torn country. His father, Mustafe Ismail, was born in Somalia during a time when the rebellions and ongoing civil wars of the 90’s drove many families to seek refuge in other countries. Ever since then radical groups have been fighting the Somali government and the AMISOM peacekeeping force for control of the country. Because of this Mustafa and his six siblings traveled to join older family members who had previously moved to San Jose, California. Mustafa found work as a taxi driver, and eventually fell in love with an American woman he worked with. They married and moved to Seattle in 2000 and went on to have six children together. Mohamed’s parents divorced when he was five and his mother moved back to California, leaving the children with his father. His father, Mustafe, then married a Somali woman he knew from his past, and over the next eleven years they had five more children. In 2017 Mustafe decided to go to Oregon State University to become an LPN, so in 2018 Mohamed and his siblings from his father’s first marriage were sent to Africa to live with his grandfather and an aunt.
Mohamed and his oldest sister moved back to the US in 2019 and lived with his grandmother. Mohamed found a part-time job he could do after school and found a place to rent in 2021. He moved two of his younger siblings in with him and has taken on financial responsibility for them.
Present: Mustafe is currently attending South Seattle College and is participating in the CFA Pre-Apprenticeship program to gain hands-on experience in web development and prepare for a career as a programmer. He works two 12-hour shifts as a security guard on the weekends at the Paul Allen Institute and goes to school during the week.
Future: Mohamed says: “At 21 years old, I am currently pursuing an associate degree at South Seattle Community College before transferring to University of Washington and getting my bachelor’s degree in information technology (IT) Recognizing the dynamic potential of IT I have embarked on a path of self-discovery, exploring how technology intersects with my skills and ambitions. This pursuit has led me to envision a future where I contribute to the IT landscape while building meaningful connections.
My journey has not been easy, but it has been formative. I am proud to have grown into an independent thinker who embraces change and innovation. My Dad didn’t exactly have it easy growing up, and I want to show him that his sacrifices were worth it. Education was his ladder, and I’m here to climb.”