Beilue: Somali student: ‘I want to be a cop’

Ikram Hussein wants to right wrongs in her country as police officer

Photo: West Texas A&M University Police Lt. Zach Nethery, left, prepares WT sophomore Ikram Hussein for a ridealong with Officer Kensley Nutt.

Ikram Hussein doesn’t remember much about her native country of Somalia, but she remembers enough. Images remained in her mind of an African country of upheaval even at 10 years old. Some of it was what she saw, some what she heard.

“There are a lot of injustices there and it has always bothered me because there was nothing I could do to help those people,” Hussein said. “Sometimes it was the cops themselves doing the bad things because they would get threatened by extremist groups.

“There were times, too, when the good cops refused to do anything against the government because they or their family members would get threatened or killed.”

Like most sophomores at West Texas A&M University, Hussein has a good idea of what she wants to do once she graduates. Unlike any sophomores at WT, she wants to return to her native Eastern African country as a police officer.

“With all of that happening, Somalia was and still is my home, and I want to make sure that I make a difference even if costs me my life. I want to stop innocent people from getting hurt or killed for breathing or refusing to do something bad.”

That’s an audacious goal and bold talk. But Hussein is used to setting high goals and overcoming obstacles in her 20-year-old life. She’s experienced much more than most at her age, which only strengthens her determination and confidence.

“My whole life, I’ve had only one goal and that’s to make a difference and take advantage of the opportunities I have,” she said. “God gave me the opportunity to come to America. Most Somalian kids don’t have that opportunity to come here and get an education. I always try to take advantage of any opportunity I have.”

At age 10 in 2011, Hussein left Somalia with sister Nasteho, 11, and brother Abdirizak, 8, for Kenya to help transition to the United States where their father, Salad Dualle, was already working.

They left not long after their mother, Nasro, died following an infection from a miscarriage. The children had been living for a short while with a grandmother and aunt. Their father believed it was time to reunite his family in the U.S.

“He was worried we might not be motivated if we stayed there much longer,” Hussein said.

At 14, Hussein immigrated to Michigan for a year where her father worked. He was a doctor in Somalia, but now was studying healthcare management. The following year, they moved to Amarillo to be with extended family. Her father now works for the City of Amarillo Public Health Department.

She started attending Palo Duro High School not knowing much more than “yes” and “no.” That’s how she answered every question even if it required a different response. But Hussein was determined to learn English, staying after school with tutors most every day and supplementing that by watching the Disney Channel.

“I started to gain a little bit of confidence – I just had to work my way through it,” she said. “Even if you say the wrong thing, just say it. Someone will correct you, and you will learn.”

By the end of her sophomore year, Hussein began to master the English language. She still felt she stood out because of her accent and her attire – her hijab, the head covering worn by most Muslim women, as well as her long dress.

“Maybe I was different at the time and thinking I was the odd one out,” she said. “It felt weird that I would have to adjust. But I told myself every morning, whether or not I was the odd one, I was me and I didn’t have to change me no matter what. All the time I was gaining more confidence in myself.”

She graduated from Palo Duro in 2019. Hussein was not headed to the work force, but to college, specifically to WT. An education was the primary reason she was in the U.S.

“Apart from God, there is my dad, and I wanted to show him that to learn is why I am here,” she said. “We have a mission which is to come back home and help people whether it’s my sister as a nurse, or me as a police officer or my brother as a dentist. Just don’t get off track. Take advantage of the situation, especially for a woman in Somalia. I’m just super thankful.”

There are right and wrong reasons to pursue any career. The superficial reasons get exposed quickly, especially in law enforcement.

“There are two key things I look for when talking with someone who might want to be a police officer,” said WT Police Chief Shawn Burns, who supervises 19 officers in his department. “Either you want to make a difference in impacting lives on an individual basis, or you want to have impact on your community.

“If you want to make arrests and get in gunfights and have car chases — that’s part of the job, but that is not the job. If that’s the reason, you’ll see a higher rate of burnout and get very cynical and very negative in a hurry.”

Hussein plans to return to Somalia or another underdeveloped African country after graduation. She is leaning toward a criminal justice career more and more. She was on a ride-along with officer Tyler Burch in early April and plans another one in mid-April.

“I’m not going to lie. I’m a little bit scared because this job is what a lot of men do both in America and Somalia. You just don’t see any Muslim women,” Hussein said. “But I can’t let that stop me because I know what is happening in this world, and I know I want to be part of the change that happens in both America and Somalia.”

Hussein uses a very American mantra as to why police work appeals to her: She said she wants to be the change she wishes to see.

“I want to be a police officer to make my own difference in this world,” she said. “I want to make a positive impact on people and make sure they are safe. In 2020, I decided this is what I want to be no matter how much I try to hide it. I can not run away from it. I got to do what I got to do. I want to be a cop, so I’m going for it.”

Do you know of a student, faculty member, project, an alumnus or any other story idea for “WT: The Heart and Soul of the Texas Panhandle?” If so, email Jon Mark Beilue at jbeilue@wtamu.edu.