Academic Success: Sabrina Avila '21

Sabrina Avila ’21 is a first-year biochemistry major with the drive to become a pediatric cardio-surgeon. She has had this goal since she was eight years old and watched her younger brother go through open-heart surgery.

Her route to Saint Mary’s College wasn’t always so clear. Sabrina attended small Catholic schools from kindergarten through high school in Southern California. She always thought she wanted to change things up and attend a large university. Visits to two large universities near home revealed two aha moments: they were too close to home and did not excite her. So Sabrina and her family took a trip to Northern California to research other possibilities.

Sabrina had heard about Saint Mary’s College through a friend and it was the first Bay Area university she visited. She drove through the gate, saw the Chapel and lawn and instantly knew this was where she belonged. The tour through Brousseau Hall sealed her decision.

As a student in the High Potential program, Sabrina has high praise for her HP Coach, Sharzad Mozaffar, who has been instrumental in helping her navigate her first semester on campus. “Sharzad has leant me emotional support when I was homesick, helped me with my schedule when I had two overlapping classes, and helped me find a calculus tutor,” said Sabrina. “The High Potential program has undeniably played a huge part in my time at Saint Mary’s. As a first-generation student, it has given me all of the tools I need to succeed in the classroom and in the future.”

This year, Sabrina is one of six students who received the Moonlight Scholarship to benefit undergraduates in the High Potential Program (HP). Actor Mahershala Ali ’96, who also benefited from the HP program as a student 20 years ago, inspired the Scholarship named after his Oscar-winning film, Moonlight. The Saul Zaentz Foundation and Eric Flowers M’04 also generously donated to the Moonlight Scholarship.

The High Potential Program was developed in 1973 to help foster student success for first-generation and low-income students as they transition from high school to college. Donations enable HP graduate student counselors, staff, and peer mentors to work together with HP students to develop their academic and leadership skills, connect them to the college community, and guide them through their four years on campus. This is a signature program at Saint Mary’s that has steered thousands of students through college life and launched them into the world as entrepreneurs, volunteers, and leaders.

“I am so grateful for my financial aid, including the Moonlight Scholarship spearheaded by Mahershala Ali,” said Sabrina. “This award tells me I’m here for a reason; there are generous people who have donated to this Scholarship and I have a responsibility to them, as well, to succeed.” 

Sabrina is taking advantage of all that Saint Mary’s offers and is trying new things. She surprised herself by joining the Women’s Rugby Team when she learned about it at the Involvement Fair during Weekend of Welcome. She is looking forward to playing intramural softball this spring and taking a Jan Term travel course in the future.

She is also grateful for her Saint Mary’s College experience that has led to her deepening faith in the Catholic Church. Faith, family, and hard work, Sabrina is on her way to fulfilling her dream to help other young heart patients.