Cultural Basket

Mustafa Omar
ITL 604
Religion
Grown up as a Muslim, I feel that it has played
a big role in who I am today. I am a person who
has a strong faith in a higher power and this
allows me to take life more serious. I feel that
most people look for something to believe in
and I was able to find that at young age. The
Islamic faith has given me a set of guidelines
in my life which has made my life more
structured. I believe that for a person to
succeed in what they are trying to do, they
need structure and high expectations.
Through religion, that belief is further
strengthened.

[Photograph]. Retrieved from

https://www.learnreligions.com/islam-4684871
Somalia
I was born and grow up in one of the poorest and
dangerous countries in the world. Growing up poor
and being raised in Somalia, I was able to see the
dangers a lack of education can have on a country.
Instead of kids being taught how to read or write they
were taught by adults how to kill and rob. Until the age
of eight, I was not able to go to school because of how
poor and uncivilized my country was at the time. After
leaving my country I was able to figure out that
education can play a big role in a person changing
their lives for the better. After attending school for the
first time, my passion for learning grew, allowing me
to change my life. I believe it is our job as society and
teachers to put a high value on education.

[Photograph]. Retrieved from

https://www.united-states-flag.com/somalia-flag-3ftx5ft-nyl
on.html
 I come from a very big and strong family. Out of all

Family the different artifact i feel that my family has the

biggest impact in who I am. Due to my family i
believe i am a more understanding and well around
person. They have also taught me the value that no
one person can be successful on their own. That
people need others help to accomplish what they
desire. As a teacher i feel that my family has
imparted with me a great sense of community and
connection.

Top picture: Me and My older

sister

Bottom Left: My father and

Grandmother with my two
sibling

Bottom Right: my three siblings

Traveling
One thing I love to do is travel. Since the age of eight, I
have been to over fifteen different countries. This
experience has allowed me to see all walks of life. At the
age of ten, my parents decide to move us to the middle
east. I was stuck in a new country with a new language I
barely spoke. I was able to learn no matter where we
come from or what language we spoke, we as people go
through the same struggles. This allowed me to build my
own self-worth.

Juvale. (n.d.). 72-Pack Country Flags - International Flags The

World, Party Decorations,[Photograph]. Retrieved from
https://www.amazon.com/Juvale-72-Pack-Country-Flags-Intern
ational/dp/B073R92NTX
Basketball
Playing basketball is one of the greatest things in my life.
That might be shocking but growing up, my parent could not
offered to give us anything. My siblings and I would go
outside and make a makeshift hoop out of shopping cartes.
We would spend hours playing basketball with our friends.
Whenever I got in trouble or life would not go the way I
wanted it too, playing basketball made it better. Later in life I
found out that basketball was a way for me to cope with
stress.

Bushnell, H. (n.d.). Shutouts are very, very rare in basketball [Getty

Image]. Retrieved from
https://sports.yahoo.com/high-school-girls-basketball-team-wins-10
2-0-034119019.html
HARRY POTTER
BOOKS
There has only been three times after the age of 14 that I
have cried. The first time was when my great grandmother
died. The second time was when I broke my right leg in
half, and the third time was when I read the last Harry
Potter book. When I was younger, I had hated reading
books. English also being my second language made it even
hard for me to enjoy reading books. But after my 9th grade
teacher recommended The Harry Potter books, my life
changed forever. These books allow me to communicate
with other people and made me come out of my comfort
zone. It also showed me the wonderful effect a great writer
can have on a person. These books show me that it only
takes one moment or thing to change a person for the
better.

[Photograph]. Retrieved from

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/harry-potter-paperback-boxed
-set-books-1-7-j-k-rowling/1108948862