Born in Addis Ababa, Teklehaimanot area in 1969, Aster entered the world as the fifth among ten siblings. Surrounded by three brothers who came before her and one right after, she grew up never feeling any different than the boys. They grew up in their grandparents’ home as their parents were committed civil servants. Her grandfather, a disciplined merchant with only a fourth-grade education, insisted on academic excellence and spent every Sunday teaching his grandchildren math. Her grandmother, gentle and deeply empathetic, embodied humility. “What I know about relationships and kindness,” Aster says, “I learned from her.”

Aster’s childhood was joyful yet rooted in responsibility, learning life skills through house chores. At Cathedral Catholic Elementary School, she was an average student. Once she moved to Tikur Anbessa public school, she excelled and became one of the top students. Aster was lively, humorous, outspoken, and a natural leader. By the end of grade 10, she held five recognition certificates for academic excellence and her extracurricular services. Everyone, including Aster were shocked to find out that her results of 12th grade national exam weren’t enough to secure her admission to the University. She believes it was an error, but did not dwell on it following her father’s advice, “Accept what is, and move forward,”.

Aster joined the Diploma program at the College of Commerce. While selecting departments, Aster selected Accounting despite the fact that at the orientation, it was made clear that women were expected to choose Secretarial Science.  She refused to accept limitations placed on her future. Once she graduated and worked as an accountant for a year, Aster realized that was not her destination. After briefly pursuing Political Science and International Relations with an ambition of becoming an ambassador, Aster’s passion pulled her to study Sociology & Social Management. She worked by day, studied by night, paid her way, and graduated when the time was right, not rushed, but rooted.

Her father’s & grandfather’s discipline shaped her work ethic. At her first job with Addis Ababa Municipality, she consistently arrived at 7:55 AM and worked from the guest chair for two years with diligence. In time, her dedication was noticed by the leadership, and she was selected to do auditing work at Kenema Pharmacy, which expanded her income and visibility. Meanwhile, her father gave her a delivery task to a nonprofit called MSF-Belgium, and Aster walked out with an opportunity to do their finances parttime and later transitioned fully. “Life is about seizing opportunities and being open to receive what comes,” she reflects.

After the completion of the three-year project at MSF, Aster joined a nonprofit called Accord as Finance & HR Support. There, not only did she find the opportunity to support programs, but she also met Teddy, the man who would later become her partner in life.

Aster soon moved to Christian Aid as a Country Administrator, but as a Sociology graduate who completed her thesis on street children, she longed for a program-focused role where she could directly work with the children & youth. Around that time, a fellow trainee she met during management training, who had become the Country Manager of SOS Children’s Village Ethiopia (SOS), sought her out specifically to take his previous role, HR Manager. Her counteroffer was clear: she would accept only if she could also be involved in youth-impacting programs. She then joined SOS not out of convenience, but out of conviction.

At SOS, Aster’s work ethic and human sensitivity quickly drew children and youth to her. She observed how staff avoided vulnerable conversations and noticed gaps that could be filled. Her moment arrived when she was invited to take minutes at management meetings, making her the only woman in the room. She began silently but soon spoke up and proposed a Youth Policy to align services across all SOS Program locations. Recognizing another gap, she took another initiative that led to the creation of the Child & Youth Department, where she became the first head. She gave orientations and introduced the department’s role to offices in other countries too. For Aster, leadership starts by seeing what others may overlook and acting with courage.

In 2006, ready to pursue a Master’s in Social Work, she informed her longtime mentor and supervisor. In response, he offered her an opportunity he’d been given, a Master’s in Organizational Leadership at Azuza Pacific University. She accepted the offer, graduated in two years, and nine years after joining SOS, Aster became the Country Director.

Ambition, however, had room to stretch. When asked during a strategic planning exercise where she saw herself in five years, “As a Regional Director” she said boldly, even with the current Regional Director in the room. Her vision wasn’t about replacing others, but about rising to her full potential.

Aster kept looking for growth opportunities within SOS and was selected as the first representative of Africa at the Management Council held in Austria. This visibility led to advanced roles and exposed her to opportunities that she had a passion for, such as facilitating a strategic plan for organizations. That offered her the opportunity to travel to different African countries.

In 2014, as SOS restructured, Aster applied to become Regional Director but landed the International Representative position because she didn’t have board experience. This path turned out to be great as she got a seat on the Board for the first time.

Then life shifted as Aster and Teddy adopted their first son. When discussing who would stay home, “You are at the height of your career, I’ll stay home to care for him,” Teddy said. Later, they adopted a daughter, completing their family home. One day, her toddler son drew a picture of their family, but Aster was missing. When she asked about it, he simply said, “You’re on a flight, Mommy.” Her heart broke in that moment, which led to a realization: her ambitions and career came at a cost. She understood that presence mattered as much as achievement.

Aster loves sharing her experience, knowledge, and wisdom through training, coaching, and mentoring. In 2020, she became a certified Leadership Coach and began to contemplate her next move. She envisioned beginning a new journey as a freelance consultant. This clarity arrived just as COVID-19 hit and survival instincts took over. She felt the urge to resign, yet fear of losing status and financial security kept her holding on. She finally resigned on April 2, 2023, taking her first step into a new chapter. Twelve days later, on April 14, tragedy struck – Teddy passed away.

Grief swallowed Aster but she stood by her decision born from within. Her resignation gave her space to grieve and rise again. Aster rebuilt from the ground up. She networked intentionally, rejoined AWiB, and showed up on LinkedIn. She shared her story genuinely on LinkedIn, catching the eye of Nahu, AWiB’s founder, who became her champion. This led to her speaking at AWiB Connects @ the Hilton in July 2023 and later presenting at a Female CEO Breakfast meeting, opening doors to collaborations. Today, just two years after making her bold move, she stands as a Certified Leadership Coach, Trainer, and AWiB Board Member (2024 & 2025). She also serves as Managing Director at YEP-Ethiopia.

Aster’s greatest accomplishments are: adopting her children and her 24-year marriage to Teddy, a husband, friend, and anchor, alongside breaking glass ceilings in leadership. She is grateful for life, health, her children, and the lessons she learned along the way. 

Her message to youth is clear: seize opportunities, build networks, and never settle for the bare minimum, go the extra mile. Aster’s journey stands as a powerful reminder that the difference between ordinary and extraordinary lies in the “extra”.

AWiB thanks Aster for sharing her journey of resilience and contribution.

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