Faces of South: Ikrame Abdi, Empathetic Spirit with a Lifelong Enthusiasm for Nursing
With students from across the world, and all walks of life and ages, South Seattle College’s extraordinarily diverse student body is one of our school’s most attractive features to prospective students.
“I first came to South during a summer school program after I graduated eighth grade,” says Ikrame Abdi, 20, speaking about the West Seattle YMCA’s “Level 9” program, a six-week academic enrichment camp designed to prepare students for high school.
“I liked it right away because the campus was so diverse, which was important to me. There are students here from so many different countries, and I loved that,” says Ikrame. “The faculty and staff were really nice and welcoming, and the school itself was open and peaceful. That’s why I chose to come to South.”
Ikrame is a first-year academic transfer student, who plans to pursue nursing at the University of Washington after she receives her associate degree from South. Known among friends and family for her caring, nurturing personality, Ikrame’s interest in nursing and medicine started when she was just a kid on the playground.
“I almost always knew I wanted to become a nurse because I love helping people,” says Ikrame. “Whenever my friends or siblings would play doctor, I’d always be the one giving them shots and taking care of them.”
Ikrame’s strong sense of responsibility and care is a reflection of her mother, who immigrated to the US from Ethiopia as a single parent of five.
“We came here for a better life and a better education,” says Ikrame, who arrived in Seattle when she was only 10 years old. “I remember when we first arrived, it was nighttime and pouring rain outside - typical Seattle. And then the next morning we woke up and it was snowing. I’d never seen anything like it before.”
She attributes her success at South to her time management skills. She is rarely seen outside of the library during school hours and is excited to learn more about her future career, and how to become an effective nurse.
“I remember this chapter called ‘Understanding Mental Disorders’ in psychology,” Ikrame says, talking about her favorite thing she’s learned so far in college. “I like learning about how I can connect with my patients, and better understand their needs and how to communicate with them.”