Ambition is often hindered by the belief in the existence of a glass ceiling. Overcoming the mentality that there is a limit to what you can achieve is the first step toward success. Whether it’s training as a pre-professional dancer, interning at Children’s National Hospital, traveling the world as a selective delegate for Model U.N. or being senior editor and chief of staff for Politicized News, senior Iman Shumburo is smashing every ceiling she encounters.
Shumburo is a selective delegate with the All-American Model U.N. team and travels around the world to compete. In spring 2019, she traveled to Madrid, Spain with All-American where she met Thanasi Dilos, a fellow delegate from Queens, NY. From getting to know each other well on the trip, Shumburo and Dilos developed a close friendship. Once they returned home, he informed her about Politicized News- a news organization that he had started that year.
Politicized News is a multimedia youth news organization that provides simplified news updates to their audience of nearly 58,000 young people. Politicized News is also the largest 100 percent teen run and staffed news organization on social media. Shumburo joined the team with the goal of arming our generation with the knowledge and sincerity to create the change they wish to see.
Shumburo began her journey with Politicized News by helping Dilos sending out writer applications and selecting and hiring writers. With platforms on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and their own website, the team of 11 writers continuously writes opinionated news updates. Shumburo’s role as senior editor is to edit these writers’ posts and articles. “This all wouldn’t be possible without the writers who do not only actively engage themselves with politics but the business and mission as well,” Shumburo said.
Shumburo credits Model U.N. for exposing her to the world and everything that goes on. She hoped to pursue a future career in international affairs or diplomatic relations. “I like to understand how and why people interact with each other on a micro and macro level,” Shumburo said.
She wants to combine this interest with her interest in medicine. Diagnosed with type one diabetes at age five, Shumburo was always interested in auto-immune disorders and the pathological aspects of them. This past summer, she interned at the Children’s National Hospital in D.C.. From visiting clinics and hospitals in inner city D.C. and Bethesda, Shumburo noticed the stark health disparities. Diabetic patients in inner city D.C. were not fully aware of the nutritional restrictions of diabetes, the price of insulin was extremely high and the quality of care was not to the level it should be.
She later went to Ethiopia and discovered the health disparities at an international level. “My care for others and passion for advocating for the elimination of health disparities was ignited here. Seeing people who couldn’t access the care they need whether it be insulin or just basic dietary information and proper emergency care, and the lack of technology and proper hospital infrastructure really highlighted the global contrasts in quality of health care,” Shumburo said.
Shumburo is still deciding where she will be attending college next year. However, she looks forward to studying public and global affairs wherever she lands up, as well as continuing to dance, expand Politicized News and travel.
