Posts tagged Liya Endale

Left to Right : Liya Endale, Robel kassa, Mike Endale, Hanna Tadesse

The “Young Achievers Makin’ It Happen” is an initiative to highlight the depth and breadth of talent that resides in our community in our community.  The focus will be on the younger generation, those who toil day in and day out and are making big impacts yet rarely are given their due credit.  The truth is that our community does not embrace and empower the younger generation as much as it should, we are quick to heap praise on a “Doctor” or a “Professor” but rarely take time to acknowledge and support those who don’t have a fancy title in front of their first name or after their last name.

Every week, a different person will be highlighted for the amazing work they are embarking on.  These young achievers are diverse in their life story and their efforts.  Some are business people; some are artists, while others are writers or philanthropists.  The aim is to show that being successful does not mean that you have to follow the conventional path, that one can be successful by following their passion and working hard at it.

Once a month, as we are doing today, the four “Young Achievers” will be grouped in one article and readers will get a chance to vote on the person they are most impressed by. The top vote getter will “win” the given month.  We will do this once a month, and at the end of a one year cycle, the top 12 monthly winners will be selected and a comprehensive article will be written about the top 12 and readers will then have a chance to select the “Young Achiever of the Year”.

This is your chance to take part in this initiative.  Below is a poll that lists the four “Young Achievers” for the month of June, and below the poll, in case you missed it, is the synopsis of the four Young Achievers for the month of June.  Read their stories and then vote on who you think should be the “Young Achiever” for the month of June.

A prolific writer, a talented musician, and an all around achiever who refuses to set limitations on her imagination and on her ability to attain the fruits of her imagination

Name:  Liya Endale

Age:  27

Home Town:  Addis Abeba

Current City:  Atlanta ,GA

There are not enough words to describe the dynamism of Liya.  Born in Ethiopia who has traveled the world to settle in Atlanta, Georgia, Liya is the truest definition of a virtuoso talent.   It seems that the only limit to Liya’s ability to accomplish the impossible is the constraints of her imagination.  A prolific writer, a talented musician, and an all around achiever who refuses to set limitations on her imagination and on her ability to attain the fruits of her imagination.

Before the age of 30, she has accomplished more than most of us accomplish in life.  Last year, she was the leading vote getter of Miss Africa USA before pulling out of the competition to focus on her studies.  Liya is well known for her writing talent, whether she is writing poetry, books, or articles, Liya has the unique ability to synthesize words and form paragraphs into a moving art form.  Along with her sister Mahlet, she is working on a book project that captures the journey of Ethiopians and Eritreans who lived outside of their birthplace.  Liya is also a talented musician, she plays the violin in much the same way she writes—turning music into emotions that everyone can understand and move to.

Liya continues to defy the stereotype that young people only want to party.  She is currently in school pursuing a Masters.  You can check out Liya’s and the website below where Liya and her sister are collecting stories for “Neither Here Nor There: Perspectives on Identity by the Young and Habesha Diaspora in America”.  Liya is an example of yet another Young Achiever Makin’ it Happen.

You can check out Liya and Mahlet’s book project at:  http://habeshadiaspora.wordpress.com/

Meet a young man who combines hard work with compassion, whose intellect is surpassed only by his passion for helping people

Name:  Mike Endale

Age:  29

Hometown:  Addis Abeba, Ethiopia

Current City:  Silver Spring, MD

Mike Endale is many things; he is an entrepreneur, a political junkie, and a man who cares about giving back to his community.  In an age where everyone claims to be the leader and is in a rush to proclaim at title, Mike has shown time and again that he is a leader who leads by example.  Mike was always a leader, whether it was back at University of Maryland Baltimore College (UMBC) where he was a critical component in establishing Ethiopian Student Association’s legacy.

After graduating from college, Mike was not content in getting a 9-5, so Mike did was he does best, he organized an event for the Ethiopian community based on an Art show.  With his friend and business partner Ephrem Gerima, they put together an art show called BLEN.  This event became a must attend annual event, this was not a party, it was a cultural show that highlighted the gift and talent of Ethiopian artists.  Shortly thereafter, Mike and Ephrem started BLEN Corp, a web design and graphics Art Company that is renowned in the Ethiopian community.

In 2008, Mike Endale decided to synthesize his three passions and put them to use to get Senator Obama elected.  Before it was hip to have an Obama poster or a pin, before most Ethiopians were uttering the words Yitchalal in the same breath as Obama, 8 months before the first votes were cast in Iowa, Mike Endale was having cookouts and meetings to encourage people to support Obama.  He traveled to multiple states, donated countless money, and more importantly, registered hundreds of Ethiopians who were not previously registered to vote for Obama.  The beauty of Ethiopians for Obama is that it was an grass roots organization, no one could rightly claim to be the “leader”, the true leaders led by example.  And for that, I can’t think of a better leader than one Mike Endale in 2008, a leadership that continues to this day.  Mike Endale continues to Make it Happen, Yichalal!