European Young Leaders (#EYL40)

Ruth Ellen is a Canadian politician, former member of Parliament in Canada. Since her surprise election, she has quietly evolved into an effective and highly regarded politician. During the 42st Canadian Parliament, she was the Deputy agriculture critic in Thomas Muclair’s shadow cabinet and the New Democrat Party’s Vice-Chair. She has extraordinary grit and determination, ferocious work ethic and humility. At 16, she got pregnant, continued to attend school, earned her high school diploma and went to college in Kingston Out. Always considered as the ultimate black horse, she is a feminist, and an advocate for reproductive choice and affordable day care. Since the 2011 federal election, she represented the riding of Berthier-Maskinonge in the Canadian House of Commons. She became a popular local MP and won re-election in the 2015 federal election. She thought of becoming the lead of the NPD but during the summer of 2016, she finally decided to give more care to her family life and defend the interest of her riding.

Adele is an expert in strategic cognitive skills, advanced theory of mind, and applied physics. Her research focuses on operators in time-limited, life-critical, restricted communication environments and how they employ Theory of Mind (ToM) in their mission. Adele’s previous experience includes working as a NASA Flight Controller/Astronaut Instructor, in which role she provided support for over 90 US Space Shuttle, International Space Station (ISS), and Russian spacewalks, and trained five Shuttle crews and two ISS increments in Extra Vehicle Activity (EVA). In addition to her current work as a Research Affiliate at MIT, she has also recently been appointed by the United States of America as a technical team member to North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Science and Technology Organization through its Collaborative Support Office.

Ilhan Omar is the first Somali-American Member of Congress, the first woman of colour to represent Minnesota, and one of the first two Muslim-American women elected to Congress. Since she arrived in Washington, she has been a champion of progressive politics, making her hugely popular amongst her constituents whilst also drawing the ire of notable figures. Prior to her current position, she served in the Minnesota House of Representatives as the Assistant Minority Leader.

Sam Rasoul is the Democratic Party Member of the Virginia House of Delegates for the 11th district. He was born in Ohio to a Palestinian immigrant family. After college, he became the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of a non-profit healthcare firm. He channelled his passion for healthcare reform into finding more compassionate ways to care for seniors and helping with maternal and child health in East Africa. Rasoul currently has his own small business which helps organisations become more successful through developing better business plans and through investing in their employees. He was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 2014. He is the only Muslim member of the Virginia General Assembly.