Today we’re featuring Biniam (he/him), a rising senior in Seattle Public Schools. In this conversation, he opens up about what drew him to FEEST, his perspective on youth organizing, and the role of mental health in building stronger schools. Along the way, he also shares his dreams for the future, from creating music and art to putting Seattle hip hop on the map.

Dev: Hi!! I’m so excited to chat with you. Can you share your name, the grade you’re in, and why did you want to join FEEST?

Biniam: My name is Biniam, and I’m about to be a senior. I found out about FEEST through a classmate at school. She had her own little stand on the first floor. I saw her and she said, “Hey, go sign up for this.”

Dev: Okay, shout out to her! How did that convo go? What did she say to make you sign up?

Biniam: She told me that FEEST was about mental health and organizing, and I thought that was pretty cool, honestly. Plus, they were paying more than the minimum wage in Seattle. So that was just more reason to join; Doing what I’m passionate about and getting paid for it.

Dev: I love that! Do you notice any problems at your school that you want to organize to change?

Biniam: Honestly, I don’t really have issues with my school itself; rather, it’s with the actual SPS District. They barely communicate with us. We don’t get told about decisions that affect us. Like, they just do it and we find out after.

Dev: That can be super frustrating to have decisions made on your behalf without you even knowing. If someone asked you right now, “What is FEEST about?” What would you say?

Biniam: I mean, I’m still learning. If I answered, I’d probably just say it’s about mental health and food. I’d probably just repeat what’s on the flyer. But from what I’ve seen, it’s a space where you can say what’s on your mind without people judging you.

Dev: That’s a good answer, thank you! What do you think about community organizing?

Biniam: I think there’s two parts. One is for yourself. Like, you just really gotta get your stuff together. Have a clear mind, understand why you’re doing this. It’s like a building, since you need a solid foundation to build up. Because if you don’t, then you can end up making decisions out of how you feel in the moment. That’ll lead to everything crumbling apart from that. Then there’s organizing for others. That’s about bringing people along with you. There’s an African Proverb that goes, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

And there’s a difference between organizing to protest and just protesting. While it is important and I support it, you need a purpose for doing it. You need to really stand behind it and be dedicated towards the cause. Without all of that, you just create noise and nobody needs more noise in their life.

Dev: That’s a sharp distinction. Why do you think youth organizing matters?

Biniam: Politicians don’t know about the real problems that are going on in this country. They’re older, out of touch. Because of that, they passed a bunch of stupid laws. For example, multiple states, including Texas and California, are having state wide bans on cell phones in their schools. They would rather waste their time, energy and resources on these little phone pouches, than trying to stop the school shootings from happening.

That’s why we need more youth to speak up. We know what’s actually happening out here. But you can’t just do it to be cute or for a trend. Once again, you have to round up the community to back you up and stay dedicated.

Dev: That’s a powerful reflection, Biniam. Thank you for sharing that truth. Let’s talk about mental health. First off, how do you take care of yourself?

Biniam: I try to ground myself, because if you don’t, your emotions get the best of you. And when that happens, you end up making decisions that hurt yourself or other people. I’ve had some tough times, but I know myself enough to keep going, and that’s why I’m still fine.

Dev: I love that a lot. I’m curious, what does a safe space look like to you?

Biniam: People think a safe space means you are in a bubble and nobody can ever say anything slightly negative about you. The best spaces are ones that also give constructive criticism. You need people to call you out so you can grow. You do need some pushback to be the best version of yourself, especially when trying to make real change. 

Dev: We love feedback in this house! Speaking of feedback, what do you think schools should do to support students better?

Biniam: There’s never a one-size-fits-all. The best thing you can do is just listen. Hear people out. If you ignore them or put them down, you might end up creating the next school shooter. That’s real. You don’t know what someone’s going through. One wrong thing you do could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back and ends up going crazy.

Dev: Dang, you got deep real fast. I appreciate it. Connecting back to how we prevent stuff like that, what role do you think students like yourself or your friends should play in shaping what mental health resources are available at your school?

Biniam: It’s about spreading the word, bringing people with you. Not everyone is gonna be with you, and that’s okay. Some people don’t change. But if you bring the right people in at the right time, that’s how things actually get moving. You gotta know what you are capable of and build the right team to stand behind you.

Dev: You’ve mentioned before there’s a difference between aging and maturing. Can you explain that?

Biniam: In my life, I noticed that some people just keep banging their head against a brick wall, thinking it’ll break down. But the wall is still there. You think you’re getting somewhere but you’re hurting yourself for no reason. The sad part about it is, they don’t realize that you can just go around it. 

Anybody can grow older, but not everyone is able to mature. A lot of people are 30, 40, 50 years old, and still making the same mistakes they made in high school. This lets you know to not always listen to your elders, because fools can grow older. And for those people, life will find a way to humble you, whether they realize it or not.

Dev: I’m getting so much wisdom from this conversation. How do you see mental health connecting to other issues, like academics, racism, or gun violence?

Biniam: It all comes back to your identity and the uncertainty of the future. Many people are/were pressured into college from parents or that’s what everyone around them is doing. But that’s not their aspirations. That’s someone else’s. If you don’t know yourself and stand for anything in this lifetime, you’ll fall for everything that’s said to your face.

For me, I’d rather live my own life, even if I mess up, than live somebody else’s life. College isn’t a scam if it’s your choice and you have a plan. But if you’re just doing it because your parents said so, or you don’t even know what you want, then you’re wasting hundreds of thousands of dollars for no reason. That’ll be the biggest scam of your life.

Dev: I’m really thankful for the opportunity to learn from your perspective, Biniam! I’m curious, what are your dreams for the future?

Biniam: I’m doing Running Start right now, and then I want to go to UW for business, since that’s what I want to do. But I don’t want to do just one thing. I make beats and produce music. At Franklin, I was in a club called Digital Music & Composition (DMC). We hosted 3 live concerts and dropped an album on SoundCloud last year. But I want to do more. I’ve always loved art: drawing pictures, writing songs/stories, cartoons, and video games. Someday I want to create a company that makes all of it: music, movies, shows, games, even clothing. Like Sony or Apple, but for us.

And as for hip hop, I want Seattle to be recognized. People talk about Cali, New York, Atlanta, Philly. Nobody talks about us. I want to be the Nick Fury of Seattle hip hop—bring all the artists together like the Avengers and show the world what we’ve got.

Dev: Period, let’s put some respect on Seattle Hip Hop! Last question: if you had the microphone to speak directly to our community, what would you want to say?

Biniam: We can’t just sit around talking about what’s wrong with the world without fixing it. Too many people just accept “life sucks” and would rather distract themselves. That doesn’t change anything. We gotta stay focused. Set goals that help not just yourself, but the people around you, too. That’s the only way we move forward.

Dev: Wow. Mic drop, Biniam! Thank you so much for joining me and sharing your thoughts! It is truly an honor to hear and learn from you. 

Biniam’s words carry both wisdom and urgency. He challenges us to take youth voices seriously in decisions that shape our schools, reminding us that real change requires purpose, consistency, and community backing. At the same time, he celebrates creativity, envisioning a future where his love for music, art, and storytelling uplifts others and brings people together. We’re grateful to Biniam for sharing his perspective, his clarity, and his vision. We can’t wait to see how he continues to lead and inspire in the years ahead!