Student
SUCCESS
STUDENT SARA SAIB IS PING PONG CLUB PRESIDENT AND ACADEMIC ALL-STAR After moving to the United States from Nagasaki, Japan, Physics Major Sara Saib found inspiration, support and success at SBCC. The 20-year-old SBCC Ping Pong Club president will be transferring this Fall with four associate degrees, a NASA Scholars internship and a San Diego Department of Energy internship under her belt. Sara attributes her success at SBCC to the support she found in her professors, staff, friends and the STEM, TAP and EOPS programs. “It was the individuals that I connected with through classes, clubs and programs who helped me make connections and learn about the resources and opportunities available to me,” she said. “These individuals made me feel supported and included. They inspired me.”
Sara shifted her focus away from academics and decided to start SBCC’s first Ping Pong Club to “make my life unique and develop my identity at SBCC,” she said. “Staff members and professors at SBCC are so supportive and helped me gain the confidence I needed to start something if I wanted to.” The academic all-star said she wanted to teach students how ping pong can be more than just a fun game and that it is a sport. She competed competitively in Japan and wanted to teach others the skills she had learned. “I am so glad I started the club as it was the place to make friends and made me known to some others as the ‘Ping Pong Club president,’” she said. “Being in a leadership position also taught me so many new skills like leading meetings,
contacting others and getting connected with other leaders on campus.” Navigating a community college worried Sara when she first arrived, but she said she quickly realized that the support she needed was right here at SBCC. “I met so many incredible professors and friends who I want to keep in touch with forever,” she said. “I also learned that places like SBCC, which provide affordable education, are very important in a community.” Sara has some advice for City College students: “Get involved! It is so important in making your college life a success,” she said. “Even if you feel shy, you can be a part of a club or a program and make friends who are alike and make connections with so many people. You will grow in the process – I definitely did.”
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| 2019-2020 Report to the Community
