I was speaking to my friend Chris Czerwonka about the fear.less e-book project and he told me about his friend Mawi Asgedom. When I learned Mawi’s story, I knew he would be perfect for our e-book. When I interviewed Mawi, his story brought me to tears.
As a child, Mawi fled civil war in Ethiopia. His family was separated from his father and they survived a Sudanese refugee camp for three years. After being resettled in The United States in 1983, Mawi overcame welfare, language barriers and personal tragedy to graduate from Harvard University with top honors. Mawi delivered the commencement address at his Harvard graduation in 1999.
Since then, Mawi has dedicated his life to helping youth reach their potential. He has written four books that are used in thousands of classrooms across North America and spoken to over 500,000 students and educators. Mawi also founded Mental Karate, a training organization that challenges youth to create their own inspiring journeys.
Oprah Winfrey named her interview of Mr. Asgedom as one of her 20 Unforgettable Moments in October 2005.
In Mawi’s fear.less profile, Mawi takes us through his extraordinary journey and provides the tools and frameworks for others to overcome their own fears.
I feel lucky to have met such an amazing and inspirational person. Check out Mawi’s story in the fear.less e-book, coming in July.
