Saliya Ali

Hello! My name is Saliya Ali and I am a 2021-2022 Gilman Alumni Ambassador from South Dakota. I graduated from Augustana University in 2020 with a degree in Government/International Affairs and Spanish. As a Gilman Scholar, I studied abroad in Kisumu, Kenya in the Summer of 2019 through the School for International Training (SIT).

During my time living in Kenya as an intern at the Kenya Ministry of Health and through my travels in Tanzania, ‘pole pole’ was a common phrase I heard. Meaning ‘slowly’ in Swahili, it was a good reminder to slow down and take in all that was happening around me without feeling guilty. I had grown up with the need to be and look constantly busy due to the culture in the United States and partly because my African parents strongly discouraged idleness. My summer in Kisumu allowed me to build a new routine and adapt to a new way of living.

Being awarded the Gilman Scholarship was one of the best parts of my college experience. Studying abroad was something that was important to me, but I did not know if it would be feasible financially or if I could fit study abroad into my degree program. I am thankful that everything worked out and that I was able to have such a life changing experience. If anyone is on the fence about studying abroad, I highly encourage them to go for it.

As part of my quest to learn more about the world, I learned more about my own story of coming to America. After my internship ended, I traveled through Kenya and Tanzania and stayed in the Eastleigh neighborhood in Nairobi, a neighborhood that my father lived in for about 3 years before he immigrated to the United States. I learned more about Kenya’s role as a host country to thousands of refugees from neighboring countries like Ethiopia, Somalia, and South Sudan.

Looking back on my experience in Kenya has been a great way to travel into the past because I have not done too much traveling as of late. I have had the chance to reminisce about the safari in Masai Mara and my beach trip to Diani Beach. My experience in Kenya showed me the diversity in Kenya’s population and landscape. Many people tend to think of Africa as a monolith and my experience traveling through parts of East Africa proved that African countries are far from homogenous. I hope that more students continue to seek out study abroad in African countries as well as other parts of the world that receive fewer study abroad students.

Hello! My name is Saliya Ali and I am a 2021-2022 Gilman Alumni Ambassador from South Dakota. I graduated from Augustana University 2020 with a degree in Government/International Affairs and Spanish. As a Gilman Scholar, I studied abroad in Kisumu, Kenya in Summer 2019 through the School for International Training (SIT).

I was born in a small village outside of Deder, Ethiopia and grew up in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Coming from such a small place has left me with an insatiable desire to prove the world is much more vast than the tiny one I was born into. To broaden my worldview and study Swahili, I sought out an internship opportunity in Kisumu, Kenya in the summer of 2019. Kisumu was everything I expected and more and I am forever grateful for the opportunity to live, work, and study in Kenya.

For the first time in my life, I stepped out of my comfort zone and into a place that only lived in my curiosity. I was worried about how I would adjust to life in Kenya and what it would be like to live with a host family. To my surprise, the program I studied abroad with went above and beyond to accommodate me even to the point of making sure to place me with a Muslim host family so that I would not have to experience the month of Ramadan alone. The opportunity to intern in Kenya allowed me to strengthen my intercultural communication skills and learn about Kenyan work culture. Being a Gilman Scholar paved the way for me to work towards being a global citizen.

When I left to study abroad in Kenya, I had only a vague idea of what to expect. A few books that I had read prior to my departure led me to believe that I had landed an opportunity to live out the adventures I had only dreamed of. When doubts came over me and some of my dreams of adventure seemed far-fetched, I remembered all of the hopes that I had for myself to grow as a citizen diplomat.

Working alongside my Kenyan colleagues and watching them in action has been one of my greatest memories alongside interacting with locals, traveling to other parts of East Africa, and hanging out with other students in the program. I was granted opportunities to attend a wide variety of presentations on different strategies to improve health outcomes in Western Kenya. At my internship, I was inspired by the important work my colleagues did on a daily basis and I was able to connect with them due to our shared values. I took pride in my work and the small role I got to play in helping with the roll-out of Universal Health Coverage in Kisumu.

When I left Kenya, I knew I wanted more. At this point, I was a senior in college and I started looking at other opportunities to go abroad. I had taken Spanish classes starting from eighth grade and all through high school. I decided to add a Spanish major and pursue a study abroad program in Granada, Spain. My experience in Kenya learning Swahili pushed me to work towards attaining fluency in Spanish.

While my experience in Kenya came with its own challenges, I found myself leaning towards my strengths even in the moments where my insecurities blurred my vision. I also learned to find comfort with not knowing and to accept the challenges as it came along. My experience in Kenya prepared me for my study abroad in Spain and for post-college life. The thrill of jumping into the unknown and seeking out to live what may have seemed like undreamt dreams for a little girl from a small town in Ethiopia have instilled in me grim persistence and work ethic to work towards my goals.