A worldwide audience is listening to 杏吧传媒 alumna Safiya Khalid鈥檚 story of perseverance.
On Nov. 5, the 2018 USM graduate earned election as the first Somali-American to serve on the city council of Lewiston, Maine. More astonishingly, she earned the seat despite a barrage of racist Internet attacks from around the country.
The fact that she ignored the trolls, and won 70 percent of the vote, has drawn journalists from as far away as Kenya to interview the 23-year-old woman.
鈥淭he story is everywhere,鈥� Khalid said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty cool.鈥�
On election night, she was interviewed live on . She was the subject of features in the and Britain鈥檚 newspaper. And an took Khalid to places far and wide, from California鈥檚 to Georgia鈥檚 .
She even picked up a congratulatory tweet from former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
鈥淚t was unreal,鈥� said Khalid, who says she鈥檚 focused her attention on being ready when she鈥檚 sworn in as a city councilor on Jan. 6.
鈥淚 got involved to advocate for young people,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat hasn鈥檛 changed.鈥�
And she credits USM for help in developing that perseverance and responsibility that she displayed during the election.
鈥淚 worked hard here at USM,鈥� she said during a visit to the Portland campus. 鈥淚t helped build me to be who I am Today.鈥�
She has an extraordinary background.
Safiya and her family left Somalia when she was 7 years old. They came first to New Jersey. They settled in Lewiston a few months later.
鈥淲hen my family and I were new to the country, Lewiston offered us a home where we felt like we belonged,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t was a place full of opportunities.鈥�
After high school, she enrolled at USM. She joined the honors program and studied psychology.
鈥淢y favorite class was social psychology,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the story of people. It鈥檚 how we鈥檙e all different, but how we鈥檙e all connected somehow.鈥�
While she earned her degree as a full-time student, she worked in L.L. Bean, sometimes on the iconic bean boots in the Brunswick manufacturing plant. Meanwhile, she commuted to the Portland campus from her home in Lewiston.
鈥淚 never had time to breathe,鈥� she said. The pace never overwhelmed her, though. 鈥淚 am better for it. I feel like all the hard work and responsibility paid off.鈥�
After graduation, she went to work for Gateway Community Services. She works in offices in Portland and Lewiston.
鈥淚 run a youth mentoring program that helps young immigrants that recently arrived in the country,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e help them find jobs, get educational opportunities and navigate the community.鈥�
As a city councilor, she is hoping to encourage more mentoring in Lewiston schools, something that she鈥檚 seen succeed in Portland.
鈥淣ow, I am able to give back,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t is very rewarding.鈥�
Story by Daniel Hartill, portrait image by Alan Bennett / USM Office of Public Affairs