STUDENT SUCCESS: AMMAN ASFAW

STUDENT SUCCESS: AMMAN ASFAW NEW horizons

TRIP TO SPAIN OFFERS POWERFUL LESSONS IN DIVERSITY TO ENGINEERING STUDENT

As a leader with the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) and as the first diversity chair for any IFC Greek fraternity on campus, Amman Asfaw is used to promoting diversity. But during his recent study abroad in Spain, he experienced diversity like never before, forming friendships with students from Australia, France, Germany, Japan and, of course, Spain. “We’re all the same in some way, even if we speak a different language and come from a different country,” said the electrical engineering really much difference, become a beauty.” While Asfaw was born partially learned two different Ethiopian languages growing up. His father, an amateur boxer sponsored by the Ethiopian Navy, emigrated to the United States in 1991 after his short boxing career. His mother followed in 1996. The two worked hard at blue collar jobs and instilled a giving-back mentality in their son. “My dad would always tell me, ‘If you do nice things to people, they will do nice things for you.’” In high school, Asfaw volunteered at the Thousand Oaks Teen Center. Meanwhile, he has refereed over 200 elementary and middle school basketball games. As a ref, he sometimes dealt with irate players, coaches and parents. But, he said, honesty was his best course. “If you mess up a call and a parent, coach or player yells at you, you have to say, ‘You have a point — I missed that one. It’s on me,’” said Asfaw, a former Referee of the Year with the Conejo Youth Basketball Association who has also officiated intramural and high school games while at Cal Poly.

Asfaw spent even more time on the court as a player. At Thousand Oaks High School, the 6-foot-4 Asfaw was a county

“We’re all the same in some student. “There isn’t way, even if we speak a and the difference has

different language and come

from a different country.” in the United States, he

all-star and team captain. While he’d considered trying out for the Cal Poly team, he decided to focus on his studies — his basketball career relegated to pick-up games.

“I’ve changed my goals on what I want to be as a basketball player,” he said. “I want to be ballin’ until I’m 70.” Meanwhile, as the diversity chair at the Sigma Nu fraternity, Asfaw helped spread understanding about cultural differences.

“I said, ‘Look, if you ask me a sincere question, I won’t be offended because we’re brothers in this fraternity and I know you, but I’m am going to educate you if it is offensive,’” he said. “And because of that people were open — they weren’t afraid to speak of things they weren’t normally able to say.”

The former treasurer and current president of NSBE went to Spain in fall 2019

CENG&COVID-19

Amman Asfaw is continuing his studies online. “It requires a different mindset, approach and study style,” he said. “So I feel like a freshman all over again, trying to figure out how to best do college. Not ideal, but fortunately all my professors are aware of this and have been forgiving, realistic and reasonable in their expectations.”

with five other students, including four from Cal Pol’s Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. Just being in Spain, he said, provides cultural lessons for those who are open to it.

“It takes being humble to learn other people’s cultures and to be in other cultures,” he said. “You have to accept that you are a guest and that you do not know as much as they know about themselves and their culture.”n

A study abroad trip to Spain, which included a visit to the coastal town of San Sebastian, was eye-opening for Cal Poly Engineering student Amman Asfaw.