Name: Sadia Saifuddin
Major: Social Welfare
Year: Second Year
Hometown: Stockton, CA
Running for: ASUC Senate
Party: Independent
Bio: I was born and raised in Fremont, CA but my family moved to Stockton a few years back. I’m a health junkie, so I eat healthy (yay Soup Company salads!) and I hit the gym everyday. There’s a long list of health issues in my family history and I want to do my part to treat my body like a temple. It’s also really wonderful stress relief!
I have been involved with student government since 7th grade and I was involved with Speech and Debate in high school as well. I plan on going into law and working as a criminal prosecutor for the District Attorney’s Office for the State of California. I want to specialize in cases of domestic violence and child abuse, which is a big reason that I’m a Social Welfare major.
1. Why did you decide to run for ASUC senate?
I decided to run for ASUC Senate because it is my belief that every individual should take the responsibility of improving their community in whatever capacity they can, and that this would be my way of giving back to the campus community that has given me so much. Generic response, I know. But I really do try and live by the idea that leadership is servitude. I want to serve my community in the best possible way I can, and I want to learn about the students on our campus and their specific struggles. Every student has a story to tell, somewhere they come from, some life-changing event that has shaped them into who they are today, and all of this shapes the way they think. I want to do my best to represent every interest and every narrative, which I think is a huge part of building a campus community.
2. What do you want to accomplish by the time you graduate from Berkeley?
Haha, that’s such a grandiose question! I have so much I want to accomplish by the time I graduate, but like most students, I’m usually just trying to make it through the day. I guess one of my biggest goals is to create Pipeline Programs between our graduate schools and the undergraduate campus. The Pipeline Program is a mentorship program between graduate and undergraduate students. I really want to work toward increasing diversity in our graduate schools. Data has shown that students of color have a harder time getting into grad school due to many reasons, including lack of access, resources, and guidance. If we can build a strong pipeline that will change this cycle of marginalization of communities of color, I really think we can benefit society as a whole when it comes to fighting institutionalized racism and classism.
3. What are you involved with on campus?
I’m an active member of the Muslim Students Association on campus and I’ve recently gotten involved with the Arab Recruitment and Retention Center which is a part of Bridges. I’ve also been helping with the NASWA (North African South West Asian) campaign, which is very similar to the Count Me In Campaign held by the API community a few years ago. I’m also the Chief of Staff for Student Regent Designate Jonathan Stein, who is such a great role model and mentor for me. It’s actually through working at his office that I got the inspiration for creating the Pipeline Program, along with another one of my mentors at Boalt.
4. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Whenever I get a free moment, I read. I’ve really been into business books lately; I work at Haas building readers and ordering textbooks for professors so I come across some really interesting literature there. Yes, I’m kind of a nerd and read textbooks, whatever. I also really enjoy sewing and designing my own scarves, I really wish I had more time to devote to that. And I love to bake! My most popular creation has been Elmo cupcakes that I made for my 5 year old brother’s birthday last year. He loved them, so mission accomplished.