Excerpt:
In 2016, Ilhan Omar made history when she was elected to Minnesota's House of Representatives, becoming the first Somali-American to win a state office in the United States.
Omar had humble beginnings, as her family was uprooted from her home country as a child during Somalia's civil war in the 1990s. She came to America as a teenager after spending time in a refugee camp in Kenya.
Last year when she entered the Democratic primary race against an incumbent of more than 40 years, few gave her a chance. But door-to-door campaigning and outreach to young voters helped Omar increase turnout in the district by 35 percent and win an upset victory. Her general election victory in November made international headlines and inspired young girls around the world.