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Ridwan Driving School
Ali Ridwan embodies the same entrepreneurial spirit that has made this country great. As a Somali refugee, he has succeeded in developing many skills to give himself and his family an opportunity to thrive in their new homeland. Many
Somalis have the experience of owning a business in Africa, but it has takes a brave individual like Ali to start all over in a foreign country.
Three months before civil war broke out in Somalia, Ali graduated with a medical degree. He was immediately hired as a nurse at Hatima Camp, a refugee camp in Kenya. After serving as a nurse for five years, Ali received the opportunity
to immigrate to the United States in 1997.
In Columbus, Ohio, Ali took a job at Mount Carmel Hospital. He was responsible for transporting patients and providing translation services. Ali speaks Somali, Arabic, Swahili, Maymay, Tunni, and English!
Here in San Diego, Ali has met a lot people new to the United States who have trouble understanding the rules of driving. In the fourteen years he has lived in the United States, Ali has never received a traffic ticket. Several of his
students have suspended licenses and he knows many adults who do not know how to read road signs. In response to his findings, Ali applied to become a driving instructor and in June 2009, he opened his business, Ridwan Driving School.
Ridwan Driving School's office is located in the Safari Market, an East African Marketplace on 54th Street just off of El Cajon Boulevard. The Safari Market is cost-effective for business start-ups, and offers Ali a location where he can
directly serve his community. The ability to drive equates to accessing jobs and serving one's family. By teaching people the rules of driving, how to park and how to read street signs, Ali is helping people achieve their larger
objectives.
Ridwan Driving School - 4348 54th St, 619-286-2963
Lafayette Hotel - The People's Post - blip.tv
Video by Carlos Solorio, Interview by Beryl Forman
Jay Wentz, co-owner of the Lafayette Hotel, the historic gem of El Cajon Boulevard discusses the hotel's history and its current restoration.
Yelp About the Boulevard
Pizzeria Bruno Napoletano
4207 Park Blvd
Yelper: I could eat this pizza everyday for the rest of my life! Everything about our visit was wonderful. They had a great wine selection and the choices of pizzas were fantastic! Seriously the closest thing to Italian pizza found
outside of Italy. All the guys who worked there were so friendly and inviting. This place is a spot that any pizza fanatic should consider visiting and soon!
Click
here for more yelp reviews.
Featured Art on the Boulevard
Sign your kids up for a Youth Media & Tech Camp. The Media Arts Center media camps on El Cajon Boulevard expose kids to collaborating with each other using media and technology arts, while putting them on a path to engage with others
in an increasingly connected world.
Learning these basic media tools in a fun, collaborative environment provides youth with the skills to utilize the newest media technologies in a positive and productive way.
For more information,
click here.
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