Simon Ghebresilassie was born and raised in the war-torn country of Eritrea. He was born into a family of three; his parents and his brother. While his family may have lacked access to education, they nevertheless had the wisdom to dedicate all they had for the education of their children. Simon’s pursuit for education stems from his family motto: “Education is the only way.” This motto shaped Simon into the independent person that he is today.

Simon obtained his Bachelor's Degree in Political Science and International Relations, and later worked at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Eritrea. As a youth, Simon was very eager to learn new things and always aspired to make a difference. Having experienced the impacts of war, Simon devoted himself to serving society. Driven by his ambitious intentions, he voulunteered in various community events and civic engagements like the National Union of Eritrean Youth. He also took different courses on diplomacy and international relations for the advancement of his professional experiences. He also completed several health seminars and workshops targeted at the promotion of a healthy society. Those interactions have shaped his mindset and his whole career pathways.

Simon moved to the U.S at the age of 26 in a search of a better education. He was faced with the basic socio-economic challenges of immigrants such as acculturation, housing, employment, poverty, and social functionality. However, his efforts to tackle all the challenges have made him more competent and more resilient. Simon has always believed in multi-tasking qualification for the fulfillment of sustainable development of himself and his community, hence he has always pushed to diversify his skills for the pursuit of his goals. Obtaining a qualification in the legal arena and researching is something he believes will enable him to assist the immigrant communities with the resources they are novel to and address the unequal access of resources.

As a DreamSF Fellow, Simon is placed at Catholic Charities San Francisco. He assists the Affirmative Legal team, taking on the responsibility of assisting clients with preliminary legal services, supporting attorneys with clients cases, filing documents, and researching legal cases.

Simon likes to watch movies and go for a walk in his free time. He is also passionate about social gatherings and participating in cultural celebrations.