Sarah Youngblutt chose to attend UBC because it was one of the closest universities to her Terrace, BC home. She enrolled as an Arts student but after her first semester she discovered that the Asian Area Studies was very strong and knew that this was the program for her. After receiving a double major in Anthropology and Asian Area Studies, Sarah considered looking elsewhere to do her masters work but she chose to remain at UBC “because of the excellent reputation of the Institute of Asian Research.” Having received her master’s degree, her next step is to pursue a PhD then return to UBC to apply to teach Southeast Asian Archaeology.
“Each course that I took allowed me to expand and develop my capacities and eventually I became an expert in my field of research,” says Sarah. Her advice to students considering coming to UBC is the same as her reason for studying Asian research and anthropology: she advises others to simply follow their passions. Her passion is encouraging people in developing nations to embrace their cultural heritage as a human right.
Sarah’s favourite locations on campus were the Bird Coop Gym and she recommends hanging out at the Rose Garden on cold mornings. Her favourite moments at UBC were her academic successes, debating with like-minded scholars, and presenting in classrooms. Seeing other students gain the courage to share their thoughts and speak up makes Sarah smile, as well as overcoming challenges. But that’s what UBC students are meant to do, and it’s worth smiling about.
