Profiles in Success
Sana Karimi | EQUIP Alumna
Gaining the confidence and the practice to put myself out there, and be bold about my passions and interests.
Sana Karimi graduated from the UC Davis College of Letters and Science with a B.A. in sociology and a minor in community regional development. Today she is an undergraduate academic advisor for the Psychological & Brain Sciences Department at UC Santa Barbara.
Karimi is a student of Taekwondo, a certified open-water diver, a reader and lover of nature. She participated in the first EQUIP program in 2019.
What excites you most about your work?
I am most excited to support college students through a very pivotal phase in their lives where they are discovering their interests and learning more about themselves. Given that college can be a confusing, daunting and often stressful time for some students, I hope to create an environment where all students feel safe to express their concerns as well as their dreams. I enjoy supporting students' interests and, whenever possible, exposing them to new possibilities that exist for them in their academics, career or even personal life.
Where do you hope to be, professionally, in five years and why?
I hope to be a licensed clinician, helping people improve their relationships with others and with themselves through developing more self-awareness and self-compassion. I would like to offer therapy with a more holistic approach, using meditation/mindfulness, body practices and talk therapy to help people heal and live a life unhindered by their past.
I believe that the most important thing we can do in life is learn how to love ourselves and others better because as we heal and find more peace within ourselves, we influence both our immediate circle and the world at large to do the same.
What was the most important thing you learned during EQUIP?
To take advantage of your inner-circle of people and tap into their existing knowledge and connections because they may know someone or have information that will lead you to your next opportunity. In life, having a personal connection to your next opportunity makes all the difference.
What is the most unexpected advice you received during the program?
I think the most unexpected advice I received is that consistent effort, whether that be in terms of following through on new entrepreneurial ideas or applying to jobs, is more important than just having one great idea or being qualified because it takes grit, time, patience and dedication for the most important things in your life to come to fruition. Without this mindset towards opportunities and jobs, not much is likely to grow in your life.
What is the most valuable insight you discovered about yourself in EQUIP?
That I am capable of making opportunities happen for myself, even if I feel my options are limited or like I'm underqualified. EQUIP helped me blossom from being shy and unsure of myself, to feeling more confident about who I am, what I bring to the table, and finding opportunities that really aligned with these fundamental strengths and interests of mine.
How did the workshops and your internship enrich and expand your professional choices and options?
EQUIP gave me the confidence and the practice to put myself out there, and be bold about my passions and interests. Ultimately, it taught me to do more than the minimum, and feel comfortable in reaching out to employers.
My first opportunity I discovered postgraduate was one I found through searching for mindfulness and education researchers on Google. It felt like a shot in the dark, but eventually I did locate a researcher at UCSB who integrated both of these interests of mine, and I reached out to them to ask for an informal interview. This ended up being my first career opportunity after I graduated, and I would have never thought to take initiative in this way if it were not for the skills and advice I was offered through EQUIP.