ACHIEVEMENT IMPACT


“My coach always stressed that we are students before athletes. As much as he values us as athletes, he really values us as people.”


Sarah utilized every opportunity to maintain the


“student first” mantra while studying secondary education at Grand Valley, including using the Laker Academic Success Center, a donor funded program which offers tutoring at hours convenient for student athletes. She also took advantage of Grand Valley’s service learning opportunities, and taught English to a resettled Somalian refugee family in the Grand Rapids area. “We are so lucky to have the resources that we


have at Grand Valley,” she says “I really do think that I’ve found my passion, and that is teaching refugees.” Another resource that Sarah turned to is the


Frederik Meijer Office of Fellowships, where they helped her apply for her Fulbright scholarship. This ultimately led her to Nuremberg, Germany, where she will teach their refugee population for a year. “I want my Laker Effect to be teaching refugees in some capacity down the line,” she says. “I’ve done it in Grand Rapids, and now I’m excited to do it abroad.”


Racing to refugees


Watch Sarah’s interview and hear more about her experience.


Sarah is chasing her passions all the way to Germany, where she will create her Laker Effect by


teaching refugees.


HORIZONS 11 IMPACT


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32