Deqa Aden ’18 Named 2022 Obama Scholar

Deqa Aden ’18 has been named a 2022 Obama Scholar by the Barack Obama Foundation; an honor given to 25 emerging leaders worldwide in recognition of their community service. As an Obama Scholar, Aden will participate in specially designed leadership development courses at the University of Chicago, where she is currently pursuing a master’s degree from the Harris School of Public Policy.

Aden, a Somaliland native, came to Grinnell after finishing her last two years of high school as an exchange student at Worcester Academy in Worcester, MA. At Grinnell, she studied psychology and political science while serving as International Student Organization president and African Carribean Student Union vice-president (among other leadership and volunteer roles).

Throughout her time at Grinnell, Aden worked to better her home country by raising funds for her American high school and mentoring young girls. Soon after graduation, she realized her true passion lay in international diplomacy. Returning to Somaliland amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Aden became a manager at Harhub, a business incubator for marginalized women and youth. This work reminded Aden both of her Somali upbringing and the opportunities she was afforded after moving to the United States, reflections that solidified her ambitions to attend graduate school and pursue a career in service and international development.

After receiving her graduate degree with guidance from the Obama Foundation, Aden has plans to launch an advocacy center in Somaliland for victims of gender-based violence.

“I am honored to be selected as an Obama Scholar and this scholarship means the start of my journey of building a holistic advocacy center for victims of gender-based violence (GBV),” Aden wrote in an email. “I remember watching these GBV incidents on the news/through people and being frustrated that there is lack of accountability and transformative healing for these victims. The Obama Foundation offers a tremendous support and a powerful network that will ultimately help me execute this complex project.”

To read more about the Obama Scholars program, visit the Obama Foundation website.