Story 5

Trevor Walstrom

Speech on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome by Sierra Asamoa-tutu

ARCC, Coon Rapids Campus, 3-21-11

           

Sierra Asamoa-tutu uses her abilities to teach others, and help prevent Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, a problem that affects many, but few care to talk about. This is exactly the goal she accomplished at Anoka-Ramsey Community College, the afternoon of Monday, March 21^st, 2011.

“Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is completely preventable, but it starts with individual people making the right choice.” That is the motto of a young woman whose ambition is to help people, and prevent FAS at the source of the problem.

Asamoa-tutu works for the Minnesota Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (MOFAS). MOFAS is a non-profit, state-funded agency that exists to “Raise awareness on FAS” according to Asamoa-tutu. MOFAS is the only state-funded agency of its kind. There is no federal agency like MOFAS.

Along with raising support on FAS, MOFAS also provides support to families affected by FAS. This includes knowledge and support for these families, such as providing information on treatment centers, and courses of action. The staff of MOFAS, which includes 13 paid staff members, five Family Resource Coordinators, and over 80 volunteers, aims to eliminate alcohol-related disabilities, and improve the quality of life for people living with a Fetal Alcohol Syndrome disorder.

Asamoa-tutu performs her duties by traveling across the state to high-schools, colleges, and universities, and giving speeches packed with information that is meant to help others understand exactly how common FAS disorders are. Among Asamoa-tutu’s speeches are facts and statistics that open her audience’s eyes and almost shock her listeners into paying attention. According to Asamoa-tutu, “90 percent of the time when a fetus is exposed to alcohol, the brain is affected.” This is a statistic which Asamoa-tutu uses multiple times throughout her speech to stress the importance of proper alcohol use. “Many times women will continue to use alcohol because they don’t know they are pregnant until the damage has already been done” explained Asamoa-tutu. “Its reasons like that that I do what I do” added Asamoa-tutu.

As Asamoa-tutu continued her speech, clicking through her PowerPoint, it was clear to see that her words did not fall upon deaf ears. “Drinking alcohol during pregnancy affects everyone” said Asamoa-tutu as members of the audience perked up at the thought of a problem actually affecting them. During her speech, Asamoa-tutu uses the entire room attempting to keep the attention of her audience, and it works. She provides a pamphlet with information regarding FAS, a sheet with many common myths about FAS, and a comprehensive PowerPoint that helps her get the message of MOFAS into the mind of her audience.

MOFAS was founded in 1998 by current organization president Susan Carlson. It is mainly run by a board-of-directors containing 22 members. Sierra Asamoa-tutu has been a part of the MOFAS cause for three years. Asamoa-tutu is a graduate of the University of Michigan. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Global and Intercultural Studies. “I really love what I do. It is very rewarding to help people on a daily basis, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

Story 4

Ashley Zimmel, the Irish softball star

Trevor Walstrom

           

            Ashley Zimmel may have been born in Ireland, but don’t assume that soccer is her favorite sport.

            “My foster dad told me all of these great stories of sport legends from all over the globe, and he told me that I was made to be an athlete, and in Ireland, softball and soccer are the only sports you can play at a young age, I hate soccer, so I went with softball.” That is how Ashley Zimmel would start her journey in the sport which she loves.

            While she has played many other sports in her promising, young career, including tennis, football, basketball, volleyball, and lacrosse, her true passion remains to be softball. Ashley has been playing softball for much of her life including two years for the Dublin Sparks, a total of eight years between the Coon Rapids youth, and high-school programs, and two years for the Anoka-Ramsey Community College team.

            Ashley is mostly an infielder, but hitting is her bread and butter. “I currently hold the record for most home-runs hit for Coon Rapids High-School, at 21.” Ashley’s greatest moment on the field was belting a walk-off home-run to win the 18-and-under U.S.A. Championship for her team.

            Ashley is currently a resident of Coon Rapids, and a student at Anoka-Ramsey Community College, but she plans to transfer to the University of Minnesota-Morris in Bemidji to complete her degree in Sports Management. There she plans to continue her studies as well as her softball career. Softball is certainly an instrumental aspect of Ashley’s life, “It really makes me understand that grades count. Don’t compete in the class, won’t compete on the field.” That is the motto of a young woman whose passion for the game of softball will certainly translate into many positive things in her future.