Sarah Zeidalkilani ’26 earned the distinction of salutatorian as a result of achieving the second highest grade point average in the class.
Hometown: Nablus, Palestine
Major: Biomedical engineering
Activities: Seward Fellow; Senior Admissions intern; Supplemental Instructor; Peer Tutor; Biomedical Instrumentation lab assistant; Summer Clinical Immersion Program; president of Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society; vice president of Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
Favorite Class: It's impossible to pick just one. The first is “Medical Imaging” with Takashi Buma, associate professor of electrical, computer and biomedical engineering. It was a 400-level course for a reason, and it combined everything I love about biomedical engineering into one class. Professor Buma is also such an incredible lecturer.
My second favorite was “Art and Music of Radiohead” with Jennifer Matsue, professor of music. As a huge Radiohead fan, I absolutely loved it. It was such a fun and creative class, and motivated my Seward project in the Art and Philosophy of Radiohead.
What I will miss most: As cliché as it is, my friends and the incredibly supportive professors. They made my time at Union so much better, and I'm really grateful for all of them (love you all!). I'll also miss seeing all the dogs on campus and spending time on the bike trail. Those are the kinds of things I'll probably find myself unexpectedly missing a few years from now.
Advice for incoming students: As an international student, moving somewhere completely new can be intimidating. One piece of advice my parents always gave me is that no problem is without a solution. Things won't always go according to plan, and that's okay. Try new things, say yes to opportunities and don't be afraid to step outside your comfort zone. If something goes wrong, you'll figure it out. There's almost always a way forward, so you might as well make the most of the experience.
Life after Union: I'll be pursuing a master's degree in biomedical engineering with a focus on biomedical instrumentation. And, if all goes according to plan, I'll hopefully be the proud owner of a dog!