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Abaarso Network: March 2020

Welcome to the quarterly Abaarso Network newsletter! We are excited to update you on the students, faculty, alumni, and programming at Abaarso School, Barwaaqo University, and Kaabe Schools.  

We know it’s a challenging time for communities across the globe, and we are keeping the health and well-being of our Abaarso family close to our hearts. Hoping that this newsletter offers a bit of positivity during this time.

We closed Abaarso School’s tenth year on a bittersweet note as we said goodbye to our second Headmaster James Linville and welcomed Trudy Hall as our third Headmaster in the school’s history.
 
Trudy brings the Abaarso Network a wealth of experience as an educator, student mentor, and leader in the independent school community. For 17 years, Trudy served as Head of School of Emma Willard, in Troy, New York, college-preparatory day and boarding high school for young women from around the globe. Under her watch, Emma Willard not only boosted its enrollment by 10 percent but also doubled its endowment to be the first women’s school to exceed $100 million in funding.

Beyond bringing Abaarso School the administrative prowess that ensured such spectacular strides at Emma Willard, Trudy contributes an invaluable understanding and experience in the subtleties of girls’ education that will no doubt improve on our already impressive record of empowering female students.
 
In a testament to her humility, Trudy unofficially joined Abaarso in August 2019 and partnered with James Linville before the end of his tenure in order to familiarize herself with her new role.

Below Trudy shares some fond memories and challenges she encountered during this initial phase, as well as her ambitions for Abaarso School’s future. 
Q&A with Trudy Hall
Q: Why did you choose to join the Abaarso Network team, and why now?

A: Like every other 60-something I know, I had a great deal of energy to spare and the notion of “retirement” seemed inconceivable. As an educator with 40+ years of experience, I had spent my life thinking about what is truly important in education and was in search of a school where my educational philosophy would be a good match with the school’s values and mission. Enter Jonathan Starr, whom I had met when he introduced Fahima Ali to Emma Willard School a number of years ago. We were smitten by her and Jonathan’s vision came to life in her success at Emma Willard. I was intrigued and had to know more. By the time I had met the Board of Trustees, more alumni, key administrators and current students, I was officially “hooked” on the promise the Abaarso Network makes to Somaliland and its young people. It was an easy and enthusiastic “yes.”

Q: What is most inspiring to you about the Mission of Abaarso Network?

A: The Abaarso Network is most definitely focused on core values that are alive and well in each of the three Somaliland educational institutions: integrity, tenacity and critical thinking. Our programming is focused on inspiring students to live by these three essential values in both their personal and public lives. Ethical leadership—needed around the world these days—is the aspiration we aim to foster in each student at each Abaarso Network School. I love that we are building a cohesive network of educational institutions from kindergarten through college in which there is a strong dual focus on BOTH character development and academic success.

Q: What has been your greatest challenge in assuming the Headmaster role at Abaarso School of Science & Technology?

A: Learning how to wear the hijab on a windy day! Seriously, however, the most significant challenge on every single day is the careful negotiation between cultures. The school is run by Americans yet is most respectful of the Muslim religion and the Somaliland culture.  Our success in delivering on the mission depends upon this sensitivity. The tensions between the cultures are ever present—from ensuring that prayer times are honored during sports practices to observing gender separation in our classrooms, from hand gestures that mean different things in each culture to social practices relating to family, clan, time and food, each adult on campus learns to attend carefully to any signal that a cultural boundary has been inadvertently crossed.

Q: What has been most surprising about your time in Somaliland at Abaarso School?

A: While this should not have surprised me, I have been delighted to confirm that adolescents are adolescents the world over. Despite any cultural differences, adolescents love pushing boundaries, are constantly looking for ways to establish their independence, love having input into the decisions that are made about their lives and, thank goodness, have incredibly good ideas about how to solve world problems. And the other surprise? One doesn’t need a hot shower to have a good day! While we certainly don’t have all the luxuries offered in most developed countries, it is easy to feel satisfied when the work is meaningful, the people who work with you are dedicated and competent, and the students you work with put a smile on your heart multiple times daily.

Q: What are you most excited about in 2020 and beyond?  

A: Stepping into the shoes of James Linville, the former Headmaster, was daunting. He had spent considerable time building campus infrastructure and obtaining accreditation from NEASC. Fortunately, he gifted me with a strong infrastructure and a solid curriculum. Next up: transitioning the instructional focus to the accomplishment of competencies or skills, using content as the vehicle versus the goal. Our students must be better qualified than American students in order to be awarded the scholarship dollars they will need to pursue education beyond Abaarso. We need to know they have the skills to succeed in college or university and sometimes grades alone don’t tell that story. In addition, we want to measure our students leadership potential, so creating a leadership curriculum in which 7th and 8th graders learn the habits of leadership, 9th and 10th graders develop the mindset of leaders and 11th and 12th graders practice leadership is on the agenda. Most important, simply building in time to “be” with our students. They have so much to teach me.

Qadan Mohamed grew up in a rural area outside the city of Burao, in the northeastern region of Somaliland. She comes from a nomadic family and is the first person of her grandparents, parents and 12 siblings to have ever attended school. 

In 2010, Qadan successfully earned a place at Abaarso School, where she learned to speak English fluently. In an effort to contribute to her community, she volunteered with an after-school tutoring program, helping children from her village with mathematics, English, and writing, among other subjects. 

When she graduated from Abaarso in 2014, Qadan was awarded a MasterCard Foundation Scholarship to Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York, where she quickly became a part of Marist’s Honors Program, receiving academic and cultural enrichment through a series of seminars, events, and research opportunities. Qadan studied psychology, and was involved with Marist’s Campus Ministry, The Muslim Association and served as a Marist Ambassador, liaising between prospective Marist students and the Marist College Admissions office. 

In October 2019, Qadan returned home to Somaliland to help establish Kaabe, Abaarso’s Montessori-inspired day school system. Below, Qadan reflects on her life achievements, and the importance of education in her life and those she currently teaches.

By Qadan:

“I have not always loved what makes me unique. In fact, I have sometimes resented it. But being born with one arm was a lottery ticket. My parents are pastoral nomads, and they decided it would be easier for me to grow up in a less physically demanding environment. They sent me to live in the city with my aunt. There, I was given the opportunity to go to school, which led me to the boarding school Abaarso, which led me to the United States. While I am proud of graduating from Marist College and the hard work it has taken to get to this point, I can’t help but consider the forces that have guided me. I come from a large family of parents, siblings, cousins, uncles, aunts: I am a college graduate today not because I am any smarter than them, but because I was given access to education. Education has built my self-esteem. It has allowed me to become a mentor and a role model. I want others to have those same opportunities, which is why I returned to Somaliland.

One of the biggest role models in my own life is my uncle Ahmed. Not only did he encourage my education, he taught me to aim high. Being the first woman to attend a boarding school in my family’s history at times made me feel like an outsider, but I knew I had his support. I will forever cherish the memory of our first drive to Abaarso. After a seven-hour journey from Burao, the city I grew up in, my uncle picked me up to take me the rest of the way. On that drive, he gave me advice I will never forget: he told me to use my time in school purposefully, so I could lead a life where I could support myself and not depend on anyone. Until that time I had not seen many options presented to women in my family. My uncle’s advice was like getting permission to fly. I felt like my life had a purpose and I had some control over my future.

The difference that education has made in my life has taught me to value its uplifting powers. Most top students in my country picture becoming engineers or doctors, so for me to earn access to better higher education than almost anyone in my country has had in 30 years, choosing to become an educator is really rare. Just like it did for me, access to great education empowers young girls and boys to self actualize. Last year I returned to Somaliland to help launch a system of high-quality K-12 schools called Kaabe. I believe in the Kaabe Schools mission which is to empower young women and men to improve the lives of their communities. Returning to Somaliland to work with the Kaabe Schools project is a perfect way for me to give back and support the accessibility of high-quality education. Access to quality education shouldn’t have to be a lottery ticket and my goal is to pay it forward to many deserving students.”

Spearheading Montessori-Style Education at Barwaaqo University and Kaabe Schools

Abaarso Network Creates Self-propelling Educational Ecosystem

Somaliland has faced endemic challenges in its education system since its civil war began in the ‘80s, including a low number of female teachers and school systems that do not provide proper learning environments. The partnership between Barwaaqo University and Kaabe Schools addresses the shortage of female teachers while simultaneously developing high-quality schools where they can excel after graduation. The ultimate product is an educated society ready to dictate its own future. 

Barwaaqo University’s mission is to develop female students into professional teachers by providing them with a comprehensive four-year education program. Two crucial parts of this program are that throughout their tenure, Barwaaqo students run their own Primary School Program for the local village students, and then also gain experience practicing in the same Kaabe Schools that will eventually employ them. Kaabe Schools are the first Montessori-inspired schools in Somaliland. The curriculum is student-centered and focuses on the progress of individual students through the use of visual and hands-on materials. 

Barwaaqo students are already learning from the first Kaabe School, having done educational visits that included observations and discussions with Kaabe faculty. These lessons are then taken home to enhance the Primary School Program at Barwaaqo University, in which students operate a Montessori-style curriculum. 

Asma Saleeban, a third-year Barwaaqo student exemplifies how the success of the Primary Program will be replicated throughout Somaliland, and explains the importance of teaching in the program: “I would like to see our new generation growing in a way that I believe is better. The stronger the foundational base of the child, the stronger the rest of their learning will be. Building your children’s base and helping them to develop physically, socially, mentally and academically means they will excel in their future. I believe it will be done through Montessori-style teaching and the skills that are taught at Barwaaqo University.”

To further leverage the Barwaaqo-Kaabe partnership, an internship program is set to launch in the upcoming academic year. The internship will give fourth-year students at Barwaaqo the opportunity to serve as student-teachers in Kaabe Schools classrooms. 

Harry Lee, the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Kaabe Schools, said, “Ava, Jonathan, and I believe that after years of preparation at Barwaaqo, our fourth-year students will benefit most from interning at Kaabe to practice teaching in a real-world setting with consistent support and feedback. Our elementary school children will be thrilled to have their future teachers in the classroom next year, where they can grow together.”

The Barwaaqo community is excited to continue expanding its partnership with Kaabe Schools, the third institution founded as a part of the Abaarso Network. Fadumo Bile, a third-year student at Barwaaqo expressed the following in regard to what she envisions in the future: “I look forward to taking part in developing Somaliland’s education system. I believe the internship opportunity and the skills Barwaaqo University is equipping us with will be transformational, and it will continue to push and empower us to be the female teachers our country needs.”