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Meet Sarah!
Sarah Kabani describes herself as an open soul who is eager to explore the world. Growing up in Richmond Hill, she was part of a diverse community, and it allowed her to develop a great sense of empathy towards others who were different from her. This endless curiosity to understand the world took her to several abroad experiences where she furthered her critical awareness and observation skills. The first time she travelled to India for three weeks on a scholarship. The second trip brought her to Kenya, where she learned about sustainable practices, but most importantly, how to approach development critically and respectfully. Her third journey was the longest and most memorable one. She lived in Costa Rica for several months as part of the United World College Program. During her time there she started her university applications for schools around the world, but she missed home and was ready to come back to Canada. It wasn’t until the summer before she started her undergraduate degree that she heard about Huron from a friend and decided to apply.
She told me about Huron’s sense of connection and the genuine relationships people develop with other students and professors. I was looking for a high-quality education with a strong community and that’s exactly what I got.
During her first year of university, she focused on setting her academic and career goals for the next few years. The covid-19 pandemic hit a month before the end of her second semester and Sarah found herself panicking about her summer plans.
I was previously diagnosed with anxiety and I was just starting to figure out how to be in control of my mental health when the lockdown started. It forced me to be resilient and enjoy the present. I found yoga and it helped me feel at peace.
She ended up finding an internship at the Global Education and Leadership Foundation where she collaborated on a book project. She did mostly research and internal communications, skills she hopes to bring to future work opportunities. Most importantly, she explained, she learned new strategies and was able to grow during very difficult times.
Sarah is passionate about gender and racial equality, and she has found a way to work on these issues both on her academic and extracurricular life. As a Centre for Global Studies and Political Science student, she is educating herself and looking to apply that knowledge into the outside world.
When you are aware of the systems that have influenced our world, you can’t let ignorance happen without saying something. I am both a woman and a person of colour, and it’s infuriating that there are active barriers that tell me I can’t do as much as others with more privilege. Throughout my life I’ve met such incredible individuals that have been denied a fulfilling life because of someone’s bias.
Sarah is the current Gender Equity Commissioner for the Huron University College Student Council (HUCSC). She is committed to be informed about related struggles that others experience to best support everyone. She is presently working on several events where she hopes to bring support and awareness to the Huron community.
In the upcoming year Sarah is hoping to maximize what she is learning and getting involved in other student associations. She is not sure what to do after university, but she knows it will be somewhere else. She is looking forward to applying her knowledge in different settings and keeping growing. Whatever is coming her way, she is grateful for the community that backs her up at Huron.
The kind of care that students experience at Huron is unique. It is a genuine approach, where you don’t just do things for yourself but for others as well. That’s what leadership with heart is.