Sarah Jassim 

BSc (Life Sciences) in Health Sciences

With a deep desire to help people from all backgrounds and experiences, Sarah Jassim shares her hope for the future of health care.

Sarah Jassim has always been someone who enjoys learning a little about everything. In hopes of finding a degree that would keep her engaged and excited, she turned to Health Sciences with the prospects of helping people from multiple backgrounds.

“What excites me the most is the diversity I see both in the approach of the program and the people in it. Despite how different everyone is, they all share a strong passion for what they do,” she says. “I see so much genuine care for making a positive impact. It’s very inspiring to see all these individuals, who will eventually be or are currently involved in health, take so much pride in the work they do. It gives me a lot of hope for the future of health care, especially knowing how diverse our backgrounds are.”

Jassim’s time at SFU has been filled with lots of opportunities to connect with students, especially through her work with the Arab Student Association, and the FHS Peer Mentorship program. For her, she found a sense of belonging and purpose within the SFU community by building cultural safety and peer support.

She also expanded her horizons by working with the BC Center for Excellence in HIV/AIDS as a USRA student with FHS professor Zabrina Brumme. During this research experience, Jassim was a full-time student researcher in a molecular biology lab, working alongside graduate students and staff as mentors. The hands-on experience helped tie in her education at SFU, shedding light on why what she was learning was important and how she could apply it.

“I’m incredibly grateful for my time there, and I hope to continue doing research work in the future; the team cultivated such a great environment, which encouraged learning and made me less afraid of making mistakes,” she explains. “Feeling comfortable asking a lot of questions and learning from my mistakes allowed me to excel during my time there.”

For the future, Jassim is considering working in a clinical pharmacy setting, teaching, or working in research. From connecting with patients and peers, to combining clinical practice with lab work, finding the perfect balance in an occupation strikes her interest. For the students interested in Health Sciences, she advises them to follow and discover their passions, and to maximize the enjoyment their time in university by exploring all the experiences and opportunities they can.

“I truly believe following your passions and not worrying about rushing to finish in four years will lead you to the right people and opportunities. Powering through the degree and only focusing on grades will ultimately burn you out. Instead, make time to connect with the people around you, including your TAs and professors,” she explains, “The people in this program are very passionate about what they do, so don’t be afraid to ask questions or make conversation. So many of the cool experiences I had were things I never imagined myself doing, but I tried them anyway and learned a lot.”