Zaynab Abdi

Zaynab Abdi (she/her/hers)

Program: MPA-DP Program

Hometown: Born in Somalia, grew up in Yemen and now a US Citizen from Minneapolis, Minnesota

Zaynab Abdi is a MPA-DP candidate who is passionate about social justice and advocacy. Zaynab worked as a Civic Engagement Coordinator with a nonprofit organization called RISE Reviving Islamic Sisterhood Empowerment. Zaynab worked on addressing hate crimes against Muslim women and the rise of Islamophobia and served as part of the Hate Crime Coalition in Minnesota. She was able to secure one million from Hennepin county to support victims of hate. As a Leadership Development Coordinator Zaynab is working on offering leadership workshops for Muslim women such as Economic Empowerment workshops, Healing and mental health workshops, and other self-development workshops. Zaynab was also appointed by Governor Tim Walz's office to serve in the Young Women's Cabinet. She is also an Advocate for girls’ education and has been working with Malala the Nobel Peace Prize winner where she spoke at many places including the United Nations to speak about the importance of educating girls in countries where girls are disadvantaged. Zaynab is a Co~author in Green Card Youth Voices: Immigration Stories from a Minneapolis High School and Graphic Novel Anthology book Our Stories Carried Us Here. Zaynab was also featured in Malala’s new book We Are Displaced. Currently Zaynab works as a Futures & Strategics Fellow with UNDP. She is so excited to help incoming students to make their decision as she knows the importance of talking to current students to help them with their questions and reduce any worries that they might have.