Zaynab Ahmed

Zaynab Ahmed is a third year undergraduate student at the University of Minnesota College of Biological Sciences majoring in biology and minoring in public health. She aspires to pursue a career in epidemiology or global health post-graduation. She is currently very active within her college community being a part of student boards mentorship programs research and volunteering at local organizations. She is very passionate about environmental justice and working on local environmental justice efforts within her community. Her goal is to become a prominent changemaker for environmental racism within her community as she grew up in underprivileged neighborhoods as a child and witnessed firsthand effects of environmental racism around her. Being that she is a black Somali-American woman she believes she has a unique voice that allows her to advocate for her cultural communities and other communities that are underrepresented and severely affected by environmental harm. She is also a published poet who enjoys creative writing and performing original spoken word pieces locally. Some of her other hobbies include being outdoors reading and traveling.