Wednesday April 13, 2016
A growing influx of Somali immigrants in St. Cloud, Minn., has presented multiple challenges for schools there.
To see how educators were tackling these challenges, I traveled for St. Cloud and filmed the video above about Bishar and Ahmed Hassan.The Somali brothers work for the St. Cloud Area School District, where they act as bridges between schools and the Somali community. They're translators, representatives for students and their families, and community leaders.
Getting to know these brothers during the week I spent in St. Cloud with my colleague Swikar Patel was a wonderful experience. They are humble and reserved, quietly funny, and very welcoming. They opened their world to us and showed us why they care so much about the work they are doing.
Bishar and Ahmed are an important link between the community and the schools. In their role, they are creating an understanding between two cultures, encouraging acceptance, and supporting both schools and Somali families . Seeing their passion and commitment to their work was very humbling and I am grateful they were willing to share their unique perspectives with us.