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 15. 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.
Now, she continues to give back to the community that once supported her. She teaches English and science at the Northside Learning Center, working with both children and adults.
“I want to be a positive influence,” she says. “When I was in high school, there weren’t many volunteers who looked like me.”
Abdulkadir noticed a similar dynamic in the military but found that, in the Navy, what mattered most was her work ethic.
“It was surprisingly easy for me to adapt and be welcomed by my crew because the military brings together people from all walks of life,” she says. “They didn’t care that I was a woman. They didn’t care about my skin color. They just cared that I showed up, did my job, and wore the right uniform. And I loved that.”
She credits two women with shaping the leader she became—her mother, who didn’t have the opportunity to complete high school but instilled a love for education in her children, and Chief Williams, a superior officer in the Navy who mentored her aboard the USS Ronald Reagan.
“I used to think senior leaders were untouchable, so as a new sailor, I was intimidated,” Abdulkadir says. “But she approached me first, checked in on me throughout the deployment, and made a huge impact on my confidence.”
That human-centered approach to leadership became the foundation of Abdulkadir’s own leadership style when she later mentored junior sailors.
“The military is male-dominated, and Chief Williams was the only female chief in my department at the time,” Abdulkadir recalls. “But she handled things like a boss. She showed me that being a leader doesn’t mean you get to treat people any kind of way—it means guiding them.”
Now, as she pursues her degree at Syracuse University while continuing to serve her community, Abdulkadir remains committed to the principles that have shaped her journey—education, leadership, and service.
