Alumni Spotlight: Nebil Hailemariam - Class of 2016

It was only a decade ago that Nebil Hailemariam was roaming the ICS campus as a Grade 12 student - standing on the edge of adulthood, preparing to step into the next chapter of his life. 

Today, he wears many hats - as a Project Manager focused on working with young female coffee farmers, and more recently as the founder of Five Stop, a new Addis Ababa restaurant.

Although the dream of opening a restaurant had always lived in the back of his mind, Nebil admits he never imagined it would come into fruition so early in his life. But when the opportunity arose last year, he took the plunge and ventured into the unknown. 

“The opportunity presented itself during the [Addis Ababa] Corridor Project and so I planned to basically start it very small but I never thought I’d have the opportunity at this age."

"I knew that it was all new territory for me, although my parents come from the hospitality background, I had no personal experience in this. So it was all very new but at the same time I was excited, I had a lot of support from my friends,” Nebil said. 

After graduating Grade 12, he went on to pursue a degree in International Business Management at Richmond University in the UK, before moving back to Addis Ababa to pursue his career. 

During his time at ICS, from 2014 to 2016, Nebil was heavily involved in After School Activities, including Model United Nations, Varsity Football and volunteering for the Mekdela initiative which supported the development of a neighboring school. 

“ICS teaches you to be very versatile and adaptive and to not fear anything that’s new, which can put you in a lot of uncomfortable positions. I was in a lot of uncomfortable positions while opening this, a lot of things I had to deal with while getting started - all while managing my current job," he said.  

Nebil said the traits instilled in him as a student at ICS helped him further his career, including time management, discipline, and being goal oriented.

His advice to the class of 2026? Take the leap. 

“The early of stages of education especially going into university, it’s the time to try new things. Feel free to make mistakes, feel free to ask questions, learn, this is the time to do it. And I think that’s an ongoing process, even for me at this age, I’m still learning, I’m still making mistakes,” he said. 

“Failure is a part of any process, and everything is also a learning process.”

And for our current students, Nebil encourages them to take advantage of the career-oriented learning opportunities that ICS provides its students. 

As Nebil continues to grow his restaurant and explore new opportunities, his story serves as a reminder to our students that some of the best chapters begin with taking a chance on yourself.

Congratulations to Nebil on the success of Five Stop!