I was born in Burundi located in East Africa but also grew up in Buffalo, New York as well. Throughout my life, I was mostly surrounded by a diverse population which gave me the opportunity to learn more about others and their ways of living. My family and I are open minded but we do have convictions. I am the oldest of 6 and currently reside with family. I have 4 brothers and one little sister. My family and I have been living in this country ever since I was 11 years old. We came here in search of a better life Alhamdulillah and are now citizens. Before that, my parents had lived in Rwanda and Congo as well. We speak Swahili, Kirundi and English. My parents are actually from different tribes and that allowed us to learn more languages even though they do speak more languages than us. They do have similarities and differences between their cultures but that only made them and us as their children stronger and respectful to those different than us. 

Learning about the two different traditions also increased my interest in learning more about different cultures especially since the Muslim community consists of different backgrounds and we are encouraged to unite as one.

 I and those who know me well would describe me as Empathetic, family-orientated, ambivert, down to earth, open-minded, kind, adventurous, a deep thinker, compassionate, curious, calm and collected. I don't like taking myself too seriously all the time (at least I try not to). I like having a balance of being fun and playful (humorous) but serious when I need to be. I would say that I’m both extroverted and introverted because sometimes I do feel a need to socialize with people and other times where I just want to stay in and read, nap, watch T.V, and/or cook. Usually when you meet me at first, you’ll notice that I can be a bit reserved since it usually takes me a little bit more time to warm up but as time goes on, you’ll notice that I enjoy socializing with people. However, I do like to keep my circle small since I value making deep connections but unfortunately it’s at least almost impossible to develop deep connections with so many people/everyone. 

I enjoy helping people and try to be as empathetic and kind as I can be. I would say that my faith, values and passions are extremely important to me because they shape and affect my life in every aspect. They also connect to what I chose as a career path. I always knew money wasn’t going to cut it for me because I wanted something that is beyond my own benefits. I chose something that I knew would be meaningful and aligns with my values rather than one that only offers status and material gain. 

My family and I coming here as refugees, we didn’t always have enough but we have received many opportunities and love from people who were generous enough to give us a chance to grow and have enough to at least survive in all aspects of life. I wish to give back to those who need my help in the future In’sha’Allah. 

I do Mental Health Counseling and Therapy. I do my best to help people with Co-Occuring disorders but also with basic needs of life that may prevent them from coping and/or survival. The clinic I work at is a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic which is for clients with co-occurring disorders and I also work as a Home Health Aide on the side which involves working with people who have disabilities (mainly for my mother sometimes). 

I also learned that the amount of health professionals is declining so I decided to keep working with low-income populations since they tend to experience more issues. I enjoy watching clients grow and become better version of themselves. It gives me joy and knowing that I can make a difference for someone even if it were to be just one person. I know my path is not easy but I’m really into always growing/improving and heading somewhere in life as I know life is a long journey and we must make the most of it aside from just enjoyment. 

My hobbies include: hiking (enjoy nature), watching T.V, going out to restaurants with family and friends, staying active, visiting museums/art galleries, movie theaters, biking (when the weather is nice), and reading. I also enjoy learning/reading about human behavior/psychology, cognition, religion, culture, self-help books, etc. I really like research. Maybe I’ll do more of that in the future In’sha’Allah. I just like the idea of advanced knowledge and findings through research.