Congratulations to Naomi Girma, who was voted the 2020 U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year. Naomi is an Ethiopian-American and the current captain of the U.S. National Women’s Under-20 Team. Naomi led the U.S. defense during the 2020 CONCACAF U-20 Women’s Championship. As captain, she led the team through the World Cup qualifying tournament, and the USA earned a spot on the 2020 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
She looked to the stands behind the team bench and saw familiar faces, family and friends, many from the South Bay’s Ethiopian community – the people “who helped me get where I am today,” she said.
The saying, “It takes a village…” is especially true for Girma. The daughter of Ethiopian immigrants, Naomi was raised among those who looked out for each other. Naomi’s father, Girma Aweke was instrumental in bringing Ethiopians together and creating bonds among those from so far away. Their children shared activities, outings, and pizza parties. And Naomi, in particular, always shared her parents’ compassion for others. It is deeply ingrained and her outgoing nature and ability to connect helped earn her the role of Stanford’s captain as a sophomore last year.
