Crossposted from Metro Matters

Abdi Elmi has a motto: having a career driving a bus for Metro is one of the best kept secrets in the region.

Elmi, a Metro Base Chief in Bellevue, is from Somalia, and his story is one of triumph and hard work to overcome adversity. As a teenager he and his family fled the civil war in Somalia, and he lived in a refugee camp for several years.

Later he brought his family to the US, and came to Seattle in 2009. In 2012, he was hired as a part-time driver while going to the University of Washington, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business. He was promoted to chief in 2015.

Read more at Metro Matters