Warda Mohamed Abdullahi is a Somali-American author, speaker, interpreter, and refugee advocate based in Minnesota. Born in Saudi Arabia to Somali parents, Warda grew up herding sheep and goats in rural Ethiopia before coming to the United States as a young girl.

When she arrived in America, she could read only a little and struggled to understand the English spoken around her. Despite the challenges of learning a new language and adjusting to a new country, she continued her education and graduated from Saint Catherine University, becoming the first person in her family to earn a university degree.

Her first book, Warda: My Journey from the Horn of Africa to a College Education, shares the journey that brought her here. Today, Warda writes about identity, faith, resilience, and hope. She is currently working on a picture book entitled Shukri's Hijab.

“I was once a farm girl who could not read or write. Never give up on your dream, regardless of your situation.”