When Aden Haji was 8 years old, he and his family were on the cover of the Burlington Free Press. Haji and his parents, two siblings and uncle were the first Somali Bantu refugees to resettle in Vermont, on July 23, 2003. They left their refugee camp in Kenya and traveled for two days before arriving at Burlington International Airport, where a welcoming party greeted the family and gave them small American flags. Reporter Candace Page wrote, "The men and boys wore drab gray sweatshirts with the initials of the U.S. refugee program on them, but [Haji's mother] lit up the airport with her blue dress, bright yellow head scarf and the scarlet cloth with which she held the baby close to her body." Fourteen years later, Haji, now 22, stared goggle-eyed at the family photo during a recent interview. "Oh, wow!" and "That's crazy," were all he could say. The junior at the University of Vermont hadn't known about his family's historical significance in the state. Nor was he aware that their arrival had been immortalized in the local press. When Seven Days met Haji's family days later, they were just as enthralled by the photo. The passage of time hasn't diminished family matriarch Asha Abdille's penchant for wearing brightly colored cotton dresses favored by traditional Somali women. She recalls being "a little bit scared" when the family arrived in the U.S. because she didn't speak English. She and her husband were unable to get a formal education in Africa, but she held hopes that her children would have a better future in Vermont. The importance of getting a college degree isn't lost on Haji. "I'm getting an education to help lift my family here and in Kenya," he said. But the anthropology major isn't content to focus just on academics. At the UVM Mosaic Center for Students of Color Spring Awards Banquet on Friday, April 21, Haji will receive the Lufuno Tshikororo Award. It recognizes an undergraduate student of color who has demonstrated emerging leadership at the university. While the award is a testament to Haji's role on campus, his community involvement started years earlier. He participated in an antidiscrimination protest at Burlington High School. He gave speeches on equity and youth activism during events to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. He gave youth perspectives on problems that parents were trying to solve. Last year, Haji…
When Aden Haji was 8 years old, he and his family were on the cover of the Burlington Free Press. Haji and his parents, two siblings and uncle were the first Somali Bantu refugees to resettle in Vermont, on July 23, 2003. They left their refugee camp in Kenya and traveled for two days before arriving at Burlington International Airport, where a welcoming party greeted the family and gave them small American flags. Reporter Candace Page wrote, "The men and boys wore drab gray sweatshirts with the initials of the U.S. refugee program on them, but [Haji's mother] lit up the airport with her blue dress, bright yellow head scarf and the scarlet cloth with which she held the baby close to her body." Fourteen years later, Haji, now 22, stared goggle-eyed at the family photo during a recent interview. "Oh, wow!" and "That's crazy," were all he could say. The junior at the University of Vermont hadn't known about his family's historical significance in the state. Nor was he aware that their arrival had been immortalized in the local press. When Seven Days met Haji's family days later, they were just as enthralled by the photo. The passage of time hasn't diminished family matriarch Asha Abdille's penchant for wearing brightly colored cotton dresses favored by traditional Somali women. She recalls being "a little bit scared" when the family arrived in the U.S. because she didn't speak English. She and her husband were unable to get a formal education in Africa, but she held hopes that her children would have a better future in Vermont. The importance of getting a college degree isn't lost on Haji. "I'm getting an education to help lift my family here and in Kenya," he said. But the anthropology major isn't content to focus just on academics. At the UVM Mosaic Center for Students of Color Spring Awards Banquet on Friday, April 21, Haji will receive the Lufuno Tshikororo Award. It recognizes an undergraduate student of color who has demonstrated emerging leadership at the university. While the award is a testament to Haji's role on campus, his community involvement started years earlier. He participated in an antidiscrimination protest at Burlington High School. He gave speeches on equity and youth activism during events to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. He gave youth perspectives on problems that parents were trying to solve. Last year, Haji…