Aminata Sy is an award-winning leader who wrote her memoir, Destined, to inspire people to push through major adversities, dare to transform their lives, and believe that life is full of possibilities. She has inspired thousands throughout her journey, accumulating an overall seventeen years of experience in the fields of international affairs, education, entrepreneurship, and journalism. When she arrived in the United States in 2001, she was a high school dropout who did not speak English but has since gone on to earn a master’s degree and serve as an American diplomat. She has been described as an inspiration, trailblazer, and changemaker. She is among the few Senegalese-Americans to serve as American diplomats and the first married woman in her African immigrant community in West Philadelphia to attend college, to pursue journalism, or diplomacy.
She served as a U.S. diplomat in Brazil working as a political officer. She also served as a U.S. congressional fellow working on education policy in the U.S. Senate and trained extensively in American diplomacy through the U.S. Department of State Rangel Program. She reported and wrote for different publications in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, focusing on the stories of Black Americans and African immigrants. She founded and led the nonprofit organization African Community Learning Program from 2017 to 2021, where she created a culturally responsive curriculum, taught English to African diaspora students and supported them with societal integration, wrote policy documents for Philadelphia public officials, and led at least 165 volunteers. She is the founder and CEO of Aminata Sy Enterprises, LLC, where through her story she teaches, writes, and speaks about how to achieve against all odds. She speaks English, French, Portuguese, Pulaar, Wolof, and some Spanish.
Aminata’s story and perspectives on education have been featured in numerous publications including The Philadelphia Inquirer and Chalkbeat. She has received many awards and honors for leadership, academic excellence, and contributions to society, including recognitions with a Philadelphia Mayoral Citation, among Philadelphia’s Most Influential by The Philadelphia Tribune, and as a Woman of Influence by FunTimes Magazine.
Aminata holds a master's degree in public policy from American University, a bachelor’s degree in international relations, cum laude with distinction, and English from the University of Pennsylvania, and an associate degree in international studies, with highest honors, from Community College of Philadelphia.
