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No regrets Electrical engineering graduate Amman Asfaw was moved to become an activist and leader
After completing his collegiate studies amid a whirlwind of achievements and controversy, Amman Asfaw began a list of his proudest accomplishments at Cal Poly. The first item he wrote was, “I stayed happy.” And his final one, #17, was, “I got in good trouble!” “Good trouble,” a phrase popularized by the late civil rights leader Rep. John Lewis, is something Asfaw got into when he decided he could no longer remain apolitical in the face of systemic racism in the United States. But even as his newfound activism resulted in court dates and legal briefs, Asfaw continued to lead, promoting diversity for the city of San Luis Obispo and heading the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) on campus, which was elevated to new heights during his tenure as president. “Since May (of 2020), there has been a shift of the world’s mass conscience and moral compass, initiated by America: more civic duty and less idle stagnation; more mutual aid and less selfish greed; more justice and less corruption,” Asfaw said after joining the City of San Luis Obispo’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force om the fall of 2020. “And I acknowledge I am a part of that mass conscience shift, which encouraged me to embrace applying to SLO’s DE&I task force.” Asfaw’s collegiate studies ended with a master’s degree in electrical engineering and an Outstanding Service Award for Contributions to the Community, presented during the College of Engineering’s College-wide meeting. But his moral compass came years earlier as a youth in Thousand Oaks, CA. Electrical engineering graduate Amman Asfaw left a legacy of achievement at Cal Poly as a student, activist and leader.
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