Monday, June 07, 2010
Fartoon Siad
Age: 17
School: Crescent Heights
Career goal: Medicine
Fartoon Siad has her feet planted firmly on two continents -- Canada and her native Africa.
Wracked by ongoing civil war, Somalia has been without an effective government since 1991 and has gained notoriety as a haven for high-seas pirates. But Fartoon is looking forward to a day when she can take everything she's learned in Canada to help others.
"My family and I are really lucky to come to Canada and I want to go back some day to help be one of the people that are part of the solution and not part of the problem," she says. "I know the situation they came from, so I have an appreciation of what they went through."
In the meantime, she's the editor of the school newspaper and maintains an active schedule participating in school activities and volunteering.
An avid reader, Fartoon's favourite book is the Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, which tells the story of a young boy who befriends the son of his father's servant during the tumultuous events of the Afghan civil war and the Soviet invasion. "In my country because there's a tribal war, I was able to find that connection," she said.
According to her nominating teachers, Fartoon was a logical choice as the school's Class Act.
Ruby Clarke-Smith, Fartoon's English teacher who oversees the newspaper, describes Fartoon as a "quiet leader who sets an example for others to follow."
"She's just one of those kids, the quiet one who just does," Clarke-Smith says. "She doesn't talk about making a lot of money when she gets out of school, she talks about giving back."
Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Lucky+youth+wants+help+less+fortunate/3121278/story.html#ixzz0qAE3DV63