#23 - Hamse Warfa

Hamse Warfa's remarkable life has taken him from war-torn Somalia to currently-torn Minnesota. A small list of his stops between these two locations includes refugee camps in Kenya, Harvard, the Minnesota State Government, and the U.S. Department of State, as the highest-ranking Somali-American Presidential appointee ever. He did not regularly receive formal education until he entered high school in the United States, yet he now possesses a Bachelor's degree, and Masters of Science, and a PhD. Currently, he's the CEO of World Savvy, an educational non-profit. Oh, and he's the author of two (going on three) books and the co-founder of a blockchain technology company. He is, by any estimation, remarkable.Unlike many SP/FS programs, this one is particularly of the moment. I was born and raised in Minnesota; it is my hometown. What is happening there right now is as chilling as it is unprecedented. And, though I live away from there now, I spend every day feeling Minnesota--as, I hope, you do too.SoftPower/FulStories uses first-person stories to explore why U.S. engagement in the world matters. Through conversations with diplomats, aid workers, Peace Corps volunteers, authors and artists, influencers, businesspeople, and more, SP/FS highlights how soft power and foreign aid and assistance strengthen America's security, prosperity, and global standing.