Sara Barisi

Major: Sociology

College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences

Activities: Volunteer for local food drives; reading; journaling; learning new languages 

Sara says that her desire to serve others has always been a guiding principle and has found that higher education provides the tools to affect positive change. She came to the United States from Iran as a first-generation college student, and through utilizing academic counseling, tutoring and student services, she continues to maintain a 4.0 GPA while navigating the challenges of a new culture. After arriving in the United States, she worked as student support assistant in the ESL department at Mt. SAC, speaking both English and Farsi to help students with registration and understanding course requirements. These experiences, combined with her volunteerism, taught her the importance of service to build strong communities, and she uses the study of sociology to tie her experiences together and use research and data to develop policies that can benefit the underserved. After graduation, she wants to earn her Ph.D. and focus on helping women, children, and immigrant communities and use her knowledge to connect people with the support they need.