The Summit of a Lifetime: Lessons from Ato Nagizy Gebremedhin

Update: 2024-12-23

Description

In this poignant final episode of Selam & Hello, Lilly sits down with the extraordinary Ato Nagizy Gebremedhin—engineer, mountaineer, and a treasured elder of Nairobi's community. At 90 years old, Ato Nagizy recently climbed Mount Kenya for the 14th time, exemplifying a life lived with purpose and resilience.

Together, they journey through his Ethiopian and Eritrean roots, his groundbreaking path to higher education in Kansas as one of eight students selected by Emperor Haile Selassie, and his time at MIT. They reflect on his impactful career in civil engineering and urban planning with organizations like UNEP and the World Bank, as well as his dedicated work preserving the vernacular architecture of Eritrea. His book Asmara stands as a tribute to the modernist architecture of his beloved city.

From pivotal moments in history across America and Africa to the peaks of Mount Kenya and Kilimanjaro, Ato Nagizy's life is a tapestry of ambition, heritage, and adventure. Lilly and Ato Nagizy delve into his passion for mountain climbing, exploring the lessons learned from scaling some of Africa's highest peaks and the unyielding drive that has defined his remarkable journey.

This episode is a celebration of legacy, resilience, and the mountains—both literal and figurative—that we climb in life.

Buy Asmara by Ato Nagizy Gebremedhin