Selamawi Asgedom

Selamawi Asgedom
Born	September 29, 1976 (1976-09-29) (age 35) Adi Wahla, Ethiopia
Occupation	Public speaker Author

Selamawi Haileab Asgedom (Amharic: ሰላማዊ ሃእለአብ አስገዶም; born in Adi Wahla, Ethiopia on September 29, 1976)^[1] or Mawi Asgedom for short, is an author, public speaker, and a refugee of Ethiopian and Eritrean origin.^[2] Mawi was born in Ethiopia. For about two years of his childhood, he was separated from his father, Halieab, when he had to flee to Sudan to avoid the war in Ethiopia. Mawi was seven years old when he and his family arrived in the U.S. in 1983, sponsored by World Relief. They had spent the previous three years in a refugee camp in Sudan. He grew up in the Chicago suburb of Wheaton, Illinois. He played on his high school basketball team and ran track. He graduated with top honors from Harvard University, receiving a degree in American history and giving the commencement address at his graduation in 1999.^[2][3] While attending Harvard he joined the Delta Upsilon Fraternity. Since graduating from Harvard, Mawi has dedicated himself to uplifting teenagers. He is the bestselling author of Of Beetles and Angels: A Boy's Remarkable Journey from a Refugee Camp to Harvard and The Code: The 5 Secrets of Teen Success.

Mawi has spoken to over 750,000 students in more than forty states and trained educators at The Harvard School of Education, The Midwest Principal's Center and many international conferences. Mawi is also the founder of Mental Karate, an organization that equips teachers to inspire students.

His autobiography, Of Beetles and Angels was selected by Springfield, Pennsylvania as their community book, and 2,378 people read it there.^[4] Day-time television host Oprah Winfrey named her interview of Mr. Asgedom as one of her 20 Unforgettable Moments in October 2005.^[5]

Of Beetles and Angels was chosen by the Waukegan High School staff to be read during advisory. Waukegan High School also named their Monday advisory Lesson Plan "Mawi Mondays" and the students do different activities related to Mawi. Of Beetles and Angels was also chosen as the first-ever Evanston, Illinois, city-wide reading program with events planned throughout the 2007-2008 school year. Mr. Asgedom visited with middle school readers throughout the year. Mawi's memoir was also read by the city of Philadelphia including Hatboro-Horsham High School as part of the 'One Book, One School' program

Asgedom's wife gave birth to a boy, Sawyer Tewolde Asgedom, after attending Barack Obama's Presidential Acceptance speech on November 4, 2008.

After five years and over ten drafts, Asgedom released in 2010 book one of a fantasy series set in East Africa. Mawi's fantasy book, called The Third Harmony, is available only at MawiBooks.com and features the story of three teenagers who save the world against impossible odds.^[3] Mawi is now working on book two: The Map of Legends.^[3]

References

1. ^ "Mawi's FAQ's". Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. http://web.archive.org/web/20070928062528/http://mawispeaks.com/teenager_faq_frame.html. Retrieved 2007-03-02. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Asgedom, Mawi (September 2002) [2001]. Dave Berger. ed. Of Beetles & Angels. New York: Megan Timgley Books. ISBN 0-316-82620-0. 
3. ^ ^{a b c} Asgedom, Selamawi (2007-02-28). The Code: The 5 Secrets of Teen Success, Q&A (Speech). Kennett Middle School, Landenberg, Pennsylvania. 
4. ^ "Google cache of community flyer for event". http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:eH7gZxze0wAJ:www.ssdcougars.org/Documents/Info_and_res/oneBookflyer.pdf+Springfield,+Pennsylvania%2BOf+Beetles+and+Angels&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us. Retrieved 2007-03-01. 
5. ^ "Unforgettable! Coming to America". 20th Anniversary Celebration! About Oprah from the October 2005 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine. http://www.oprah.com/presents/2005/20anniv/oprah/oprah_moments_284_115.jhtml. Retrieved 2007-03-01. 

External links

• Mawi's Mental Karate Website
• Mawi's Speaking Website
• Bella Stander Book Review 2001
• Mawi Books' Website

Persondata
Name	Selamawi Asgedom
Alternative names	Mawi Asgedom
Short description	Author, public speaker, refugee
Date of birth	September 29, 1976
Place of birth	Adi Wahla, Ethiopia
Date of death
Place of death