Mesfin Gossa: A 30-year legacy of service and leadership at USask 

For more than three decades, Mesfin Gossa has been a pillar of the USask campus community. Originally from Ethiopia, Gossa built a life and career in Saskatchewan, rising from newcomer to manager of Residence Services. His story is one of perseverance, courage, a deep commitment to creating a welcoming student environment and a remarkable story of resilience. Gossa started at USask in March of 1994 and has worked his way up through three decades on campus to the role of manager of Residence Services. 

From decades of civil war and years of famine that killed more than a million people, to being ruled by a Soviet-backed military junta, life in Ethiopia was difficult and dangerous in the 1980s. Gossa chose to leave his country after teaching in rural and remote areas of Ethiopia, in order to secure a visitor’s visa to leave the country, and in his case, to never return. He later took a chance to fly from Ethiopia to Greece, and immediately applied for refugee status with the United Nations. For three years, Gossa and his wife, Azeb, lived in Athens, with Mesfin working odd jobs as a handyman and carpenter, without knowing what the future had in store for them. After three long years of refugee processing, they finally secured immigration status to come to North America.  

USask quickly became a home away from home for Gossa. In 2025, he celebrated a milestone of three decades as a USask employee. With a simple philosophy of always working hard and being thankful for every day, Gossa’s career has advanced from beginning as a caretaker to serving in a management role, constantly upgrading his education and training to prepare for more senior responsibilities. He has also been a Huskies fan for many years and has dedicated additional time to serving as a volunteer at Huskies events.