Sarah ElSayed
Hometown: Brooklyn, New York
Major: BA in Public Relations and Psychology, with a concentration in neuro.
Graduation: May 2015
Clubs/Involvement at Hofstra: Order of Omega Greek Honor Society, African Caribbean Society, Alpha Theta Beta Sorority, and Pride-a-la-carte leadership program
Current Position: CEO and Founder of Grass is Greener PR, LLC.
Did you go into college with a media-related major declared? If so, how confident were you in that choice, and if not, what made you change?
I started at Hofstra as a psychology major. I didn’t feel 100% confident in that declaration, but my gut told me that it was the right place for me to begin my soul searching. Looking back, I think that I needed to dive deeper into biology, behavior, and evolution before I could discover my natural talent for communication. Initially, I didn’t have a clue about public relations. When I stumbled upon the opportunity to tackle another field of study, I took it. It’s all about preparing for the opportunity and paving your own path with the tools you’ve been granted.
What advantages, if any, do you feel you had by going to Hofstra?
When you leave home for the first time, and you’re tasked with not only rigorous academic boot camp but with finding yourself among a sea of others who are also seeking purpose and clarity, it can certainly feel overwhelming.
Being able to access higher education, in general, is a massive opportunity. My upbringing prepared me for college; which is habitually understood as a crutch, when in fact, it is merely a tool. My mom worked hard to give me more than she had – she lead me to the water. It was, and continues to be, my duty to figure out what I’m going to do with that water; along the journey, I’ve learned that I am also able to lead others to water. I want to bloom, and I want to play a part in allowing others to bloom.
There’s incredible value in mentorship. Good mentors teach. Great mentors teach and remind you of your divinity. With that said, Hofstra connected me to my guru, Ellen Tashie Frisina, someone I am thankful for each and every day.
How many internships did you have during college and what were your greatest lessons from those?
During college, I worked for WS&A PR, The Fresh Air Fund, Victoria’s Secret PINK, Bobble, and Pura Vida Bracelets. The greatest lesson that I learned is that one can never be finished with learning. Every person that you meet has something to teach you.
How would you describe your aesthetic?
Inner aesthetic? Spiritual gangster.
Outer aesthetic? Something along the lines of authentic Brooklyn, nu-goth, hippy scum. HA.
Can you sum up your career right now in 3 hashtags?
#DivineIntervention #LegalizeIt #BlackLivesMatter
What has been one of the most memorable moments in your career thus far?
The past year of my life has been absolutely surreal. One of my stand-out experiences was being able to attend the 2016 Emerald Cup in Santa Rosa. Watching my client (The Legion of Bloom) take home two well-deserved wins, being surrounded by arguably the best cannabis in the world, meeting the cultivators who are putting their love and creativity into large-scale healing, and feeling the pure joy of 30,000 patients that rely on our medicine to make their life better… in just one weekend… was enough to remind me that I’m exactly where I need to be.
How important do you think bad experiences are to your professional life?
If you don’t have bad experiences, you’ll never know how to appreciate the great ones. Be here now.
For your future goals, what’s next?
!!!!! Existential question alert !!!!!
I don’t know what’s next. Nobody does. If someone tells you, with confidence, what the future holds – they’re either God or entirely misguided.
I’m trying to be patient, trying to keep my values at the front of my mind, trying to love, and trying to help whenever I am capable of helping. The rest is written.