Name: Nimo Omar

Recipient Year: 2020

Major: Public Policy

Description: 2020 ISF Scholar Nimo Omar will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy (Social Justice & Civil Rights) from St. Catherine’s University in 2021. Nimo grew up in Rochester, Minnesota, and spent much of her childhood in Ethiopia. While on her way back to the U.S. from Ethiopia at age 15, Nimo was unjustly detained by Ethiopian immigration, separated from her brother, and jailed for three days. As she grew older, her experience in an Ethiopian prison shaped the course of her life. Nimo’s journey as an activist began in college when she joined the Minnesota State College Students Association (MSCSA) and became a platform representative for four colleges and universities. From her first successful labor-rights campaign to now, Nimo’s efforts as an organizer have grown into a nonprofit organization: Awood Center, which she founded in 2017. Awood’s work, particularly with Amazon workers fighting for their rights, has landed Nimo in Wired, Bloomberg, TIME Money, and Minnesota Public Radio.

School Name: St Catherine's University

Sponsor: Ghulam and Arifa Azad Family Scholarship

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nimo-omar-277183129/