Azar Abdulkadi (Image courtesy of Azar Abdulkadir)
Not long ago, Azar Abdulkadir ’25 was a student at Nottingham High School, receiving help with her homework and English at Syracuse’s Northside Learning Center. Now, several years later, the U.S. Navy veteran prioritizes giving back to the same community center that helped her get her start.
“I was born in Nairobi, Kenya, and immigrated to the United States with my family when I was around one. That process and journey really shaped me,” says Abdulkadir, a student veteran studying biology in the College of Arts and Sciences. “My family started with nothing. We didn’t know the language, and we didn’t know the people. So, coming here and rebuilding our lives—now being able to go to university and say I served this country—it just always blows my mind.”
When the cost of college became a barrier, Abdulkadir explored military service as a way to fund her education. After learning about the GI Bill and the educational opportunities available to service members, she saw the military as a path to securing her own piece of the American dream.
“When I started university, it was really hard because I couldn’t afford it,” Abdulkadir says. “I mentioned it to my father, but I wasn’t expecting much support. A lot of women in our culture didn’t even get the chance to go to school, let alone join the military, so I thought he’d be against it.”
To her surprise, her father was not only supportive but proactive. He spoke with recruiters from various branches, brought home flyers and brochures, and even set up an appointment for his daughter to meet with them. Abdulkadir sat down with Navy recruiters to discuss career options, professional development, and—most importantly to her—education benefits. By the end of the conversation, she had
made her decision: she would join the U.S. Navy.
She enlisted as a yeoman, an administrative specialist responsible for a range of clerical and personnel duties. She spent most of her enlistment stationed in Japan aboard the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76).
“I was stationed in Yokosuka, Japan, and assigned to the carrier,” she recalls. “We would deploy for six months at sea, return for six months, then deploy again. It felt like we were gone most of the time.”
As she transitioned out of the military, Abdulkadir focused on returning to higher education. Syracuse University became her top choice, largely due to its commitment to veterans.
“There are teams of people here dedicated to helping veterans,” she says. “The transition can be tough—especially in my case, since I hadn’t been in school for seven years. I wanted to be at a place that understood my background.”
Beyond the University’s strong academic reputation and diverse community, Abdulkadir had a personal connection—her sister was also a Syracuse University graduate.
