Harriot College Alumni Profile: Aminah Ghaffar
ECU “40 Under Forty” Leadership Recipient
Aminah Ghaffar, Biology alumna (BS, ‘17) from Pembroke, NC, is one of ECU’s 2022 “40 Under Forty” Leadership Awardees.
“It is an honor to accept this award alongside such an inspiring group of ECU alumni,” she said.
Ghaffar’s #HarriotCollegeMajor is helping her #MakeADifference as a domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking victim advocate for the NC Commission of Indian Affairs under the Department of Administration. She assists survivors with housing, legal, and mental health needs, provides healing circles and support groups, trains state agencies and law enforcement on how to serve Native American survivors, and educates groups on the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Movement.
“I most enjoy and have always been passionate about advocating for Indigenous people, especially in the state of North Carolina, since we struggle with invisibility,” Ghaffar said.
During her time as an ECU student, Ghaffar said she overcame challenges of shyness and anxiety to ask for help from professors, tutors, and fellow students. She said this taught her humility, teamwork and how to view problems from other people’s perspectives.
“As an advocate, I am tasked with providing client-centered services that empower the survivors to determine how they want to solve their problem. My job is to prioritize their needs and assist them with accomplishing their goals without imposing my biases on their circumstances,” she said. “When working with other non-Indigenous communities, or Indigenous communities outside of my own, I must also take a similar approach to elevate the voices of the people who have different lived experiences than I do and follow their lead on how to best address an issue.”
One little-known fact Ghaffar shared, is that her favorite show to watch on repeat is “Avatar: The Last Airbender.”