Students of Ohio: Deika Ahmed

A typical day for Deika is very similar to an average college student but her life story is not.

Growing up in Mogadishu, Somalia in a war zone area isn't the typical life most people are used to. Deika states, “I have memories of hearing gunshots and it's like it was very normal back then. But I kinda thought right now, like when I look back, I'm like, that's a very traumatic experience.”

In addition to spending a lot of her childhood in Somalia she also lived in Kenya. Deika explains how Africa had a close-knit community and that it was a place where everyone knew everyone. On the other hand, living in Kenya brought difficulties. Deika says, “One thing I hated about growing up in Kenya is the schools like corporal punishment, it's not illegal there so kids can be hit in school.”

Later on, Deika and her family had decided to move to the United States her freshman year. Stating in the interview that her family had mainly moved to the US for “education and just like getting up at her life.” She states that there were huge difficulties but at the same time that it was an amazing process. Some of the difficulties included how she did not feel comfortable in her own skin, but on the other hand, when discussing the difficulties of moving to the United States she also says, “I appreciate the differences that I have that other people don’t have.”

In addition to adjusting to the United States, there were also a lot of misconceptions about Africa. She states “People think when they think of Africa they think of like this like poor country, not even a continent. You know it's like animals aren’t just walking around. I wish I saw animals like walking around like that would be fun.” She also goes into depth on how there are some similarities with the United States and the previous places she has lived in, discussing politics and racism issues.

Deika states that, “this is just my story. I feel like a lot of people tend to generalize groups. I want people like to view me as an individual. That's the only thing.”