Meet Ielaf Altoma of Inspired By Ielaf

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ielaf Altoma.

Hi Ielaf, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
From Refugee to IVY League My story starts in Baghdad, Iraq, where I was born in the midst of the first Gulf War. My mother, who was one of 12 kids, was forced to stay home from school and help take care of all her siblings. Being deprived of education is what gave my mother the courage to escape Iraq with the hopes of providing her children with more opportunities and a better life. 

In 1993, she made a bold decision to take me and my two older siblings across the desert for days, making our way to Jordan and eventually flying to America, where we arrived as refugees, and where I was united with my father for the first time. Growing up in California was a blessing that came with many uphill challenges. English being my second language made school difficult, and my parents were struggling to provide for me and all my siblings. After the horrific terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001, my father, Ahmed, lost his job and wasn’t able to get hired until he legally changed his name to Alex. I was bullied by students and teachers because I was Iraqi and I felt ashamed of my identity because of the way the media portrayed my people. My life view changed when my father took me back to Iraq in 2003, right when the US had invaded. I remember flying into Jordan and driving into Iraq with my uncles.

Within the first half-hour after passing the border, our van was stopped, and four masked men with guns stopped our car. I was 12 years old when I had an AK47 pointed at my face. My dad and uncles were stripped and robbed. The realities of the world I had once escaped began to sink in. I met my family for what felt like the first time, almost every young person I met was my cousin, I have a lot of cousins! I saw Iraq from a different perspective than the media had shown me or what my teachers taught me, there was so much beauty in the culture, architecture, and the people. However, my family had to face some extreme obstacles: my aunt’s front yard was bombed, my cousin was kidnapped more than once, and my female cousins that were just a few years older were already married. This experience of going back to Iraq changed the trajectory of my life. I truly began to understand what it meant to have the privilege and the opportunities that were accessible to me in America. I promised myself and my family that I would take advantage of every opportunity that came my way and to inspire others to do the same. I went to UC Santa Barbara, where I had the resources to dive deeper into who I was and where I come from. I learned about the beautiful history of Iraq, the great Mesopotamian art, the land between two rivers, inventors of algebra, time, astronomy, and the wheel. I researched the Gulf War and US involvement and how it connects to my very existence in this country.

For the first time, I was empowered by my identity and felt the resilience in my spirit and my story. I graduated with a degree in Sociology and Education, but more importantly, I graduated with a fiery passion for inspiring youth to create the story of their dreams while providing mentorship on available pathways. I worked as a College Access Advisor for the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara, where I helped many students and their families understand the financial aid application process. I had an opportunity to build out college readiness programs for first-generation students and undocumented youth, helping them navigate, prepare, and succeed in college. However, nothing prepared me for the night of the 2016 election. I was hosting a college application workshop for students in the program, many of whom were undocumented. I remember the stillness of the room after the results came in and the fear and confusion that followed. I had a student tell me “what is the point of applying”, I was frozen. I found myself remembering the feelings after 911, of having the media attack my people, seeing others paint me in a negative light. Witnessing history repeat itself and demonize another group of brown people, I wanted to build my capacity to support students’ positive identity development. I applied to Harvard’s Masters in Education, Prevention Science and Practice program where I studied the development of youth, counseling techniques, and how to create programming that promotes resilience, critical consciousness, and career readiness.

In February 2020 started my own Career Coaching and Education Consulting business (inspired by ielaf) and I am currently building out youth development programs that promote a growth mindset, positive racial-ethnic identity development, and provides career guidance and mentorship. My work is focused on the Imperial Courts Housing Projects in Watts, CA where I have developed relationships with youth and families through my role in managing an outdoor distance learning hub for 35 children ages 5-12, helping them access their virtual classrooms during this global pandemic. I truly feel blessed to be able to take all of my struggles, knowledge, and skills to create meaningful and intentional programming that supports youth development. I am passionate about making an impact in the communities around me and inspiring youth of color to dream big while supporting them in designing fulfilling lives. If you would like to get involved with mentoring youth in Watts or support my programming, please contact me at [email protected].

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I have found so much beauty in the struggles of life. With every obstacle I have faced, I learned another lesson and gained a new tool to share with others similarly situated. The obstacles I have faced growing up poor, being a first-generation college student and the struggles with my identity development have been the foundation of how I hope to impact others and are at the root of the programs I hope to develop for youth. Growing up poor was difficult, even more so when my father abandoned my family and me for months and years at a time, completely disappearing without leaving us with any money to survive. It forced me and my siblings to find ways to support ourselves and my mother. I remember having to translate documents and help my mother apply for government assistance and food stamps, which helped keep a roof over our heads and food in our stomachs. College seemed like an impossible dream until a lady at my school helped me apply for FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). This gave me enough access to resources to make college a reality. 

Since I was 18, I had to work 2-3 jobs at once just to help pay for tuition and rent. I took out loans without really understanding what they meant. For so long, I felt a lot of shame about my circumstances, it took me a long time and some counseling to understand that these obstacles make me resilient instilled in me a strong work ethic and an appreciation for the things that I do have. After graduation, I was able to help hundreds of low-income youth apply for FAFSA, the CA Dream Act, and other scholarships, ensuring that they knew the difference between grants and loans. It is really hard for individuals like myself who come from low-income backgrounds to reach financial freedom, with the pressures to still provide for your family. To this day, I struggle with paying off my student loans because I help my mother pay her bills, in addition to my own bills.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Inspired By Ielaf?
I am a Career Coach and Education Consultant. My mission is to support and inspire young people of color in designing a fulfilling life through a process of self-exploration that connects to their college and career aspirations and applications. I work with individuals, helping them with their resumes, cover letters, interview preparation, salary negotiation, undergraduate and graduate school applications. I partner with organizations to build out college and career readiness programs for youth. Currently, my work is focused on supporting youth in the Imperial Courts Housing Projects by building youth development programs that help low income and first-generation youth of color better understand who they are, through assessments and creative art activities, and helping them envision and design their own paths while ensuring they are connected to mentors in areas of interest.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.inspiredbyielaf.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leafy_lulu/?hl=en