Professor Adugnaw Worku, is an educator, a musician, a poet, an author, and a community leader. He was born in a small village in Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia, where he grew up supporting his peasant parents as a shepherd until an eye accident sent him off to Debretabor, the nearest city, in search of medical care. While there, he observed children and youth attending school. At age 15 and a half, Worku became determined to learn and did.

He graduated from eighth grade at age 22 and high school at the age of 26. He received his bachelor’s degree at age 30 from Avondale College in Australia, two masters degrees in history and education from Andrews University in Michigan, and his third masters in library science from the University of Southern California. In 1993, he became a full professor at Pacific Union College in Northern California.  In 2009 he received an honorary doctorate in human letters from Southwestern Adventist University.

Professor Adugnaw Worku has been giving back to generations of students and to his community. The Worku Jember High School and the vocational training school he established in Ethiopia now educate hundreds of boys and girls, giving them the same transformational gift of education, he received long ago. In addition, Professor Worku has been digging community water wells, installing modern flour mills, and training women and girls on basic health and hygiene, including making reusable feminine pads from local materials.