Last year, Her Campus SMU started this series to feature women doing great things from our massive pool of world changers. Now, we are proud to feature recent graduate Sarah Rahimi, our first in the Leading Ladies series, as she leads on after finishing her undergraduate studies at SMU.
Courtesy of Sarah Rahimi
Rahimi has not yet left us completely here at SMU. She is continuing with a rigorous graduate studies program in education.
“I am currently pursuing a masters through the Hunt Residency Program in the Simmons School of Education at SMU. The program consists of a year of clinical teaching whilst also taking masters classes. I am teaching from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and attending classes in the evening,” Rahimi said. Once again, she is ahead of the crowd, completing not just undergraduate studies in four years, but graduate studies as well!
While she continues her studies at SMU, Rahimi remains involved with SMU’s Circle K International (CKI) club. CKI is an extension of the International Kiwanis Club, which does volunteer work in communities around the world. Last year, Rahimi was the president of SMU’s chapter.
“It was a great experience and it is an organization that will stay really close to my heart, as I was a part of it for all three years that I was at SMU,” Rahimi said. “Serving the community and reaching out to community outside of our own was really satisfying, it’s nice to know that a small organization like ours can make such a big impact.”
Rahimi also reached out in the Dallas community with her Engaged Learning project last year. To her, it was by far one of the best experiences she had at SMU.
“I completed the Engaged Learning project with an 82 page paper and 21 oral history interviews of African immigrants that will be archived at the SMU Degolyer library,” she said. (If you’re curious about her work, you can go see it for yourself in the library!)
After learning so much from her Engaged Learning project, Rahimi is ready to help others learn. Her residency program allows her to teach math and science to 2nd grade students at Stonewall Jackson Elementary school, and she couldn’t be happier.
“My favorite part of the job has to be seeing the kids at Stonewall every day. It is the only thing that gets me out of bed and keeps me patient driving through an hour of traffic every morning and afternoon. There is always something new and exciting thanks to our students,” Rahimi said.
As her success in life and leadership continues, Rahimi imparted this advice for those of us still in our undergraduate studies.
“First off, I would say you’re at the right school, especially if you avail the opportunities that come your way. At SMU, you have the chance to be a leader,” she said. “Little did I know I would be president of CKI, graduate in three years, or become a Hunt scholar. It was hard work and dedication, and if you have that drive and that mindset, then there is no limit to where you can go or what you can do.”