OPENING DOORS

The support to stay. The opportunity to thrive.

When Samantha Sarmiento arrived at UAB from Florida, she brought big dreams and plenty of determination. But as an out-of-state, first-generation student, she also arrived with a lot of uncertainty. 

She was alone in a new city. No car. No family nearby. No familiar safety net. 

"I didn't have anyone here," Samantha recalls. "I was figuring it all out on my own." 

The challenges surfaced in everyday questions that can quickly overwhelm students far from home: How will I get groceries? What happens if something goes wrong? What if I can't afford an unexpected expense? 

For Samantha, Student Affairs became the difference between simply getting by and having the opportunity to thrive. 

Living on campus provided stability when everything else felt unfamiliar. Campus Dining ensured reliable access to meals, while the Blazer Kitchen at Hill Student Center provided additional necessities when her resources were limited. Counseling and wellness services supported her wellbeing as she adjusted to college life and learned to balance the demands of a rigorous academic schedule. 

More than resources, Samantha found a community that helped transform uncertainty into confidence. 

With her basic needs met and a network of support behind her, Samantha immersed herself in the opportunities UAB offered. While carrying 15 to 18 credit hours each semester, she worked as a Peer Career Advisor, conducted research in genetics and tissue regeneration, represented students on the Student Affairs Student Advisory Board, and found community through University Recreation. 

Today, Samantha works for a national provider of biomedical research and technology, fulfilling the dream that first brought her to UAB. 

Building a future, one "yes" at a time.

For Ankita, moving from Mumbai to Birmingham to pursue her master's degree was a leap of faith. Faith in herself and faith that good things come to those who seize the moment. 

Once she arrived at UAB, she challenged herself to make the most of every opportunity she encountered, joining student organizations, engaging with international student programs, and seeking meaningful experiences beyond the classroom. 

With every connection Ankita made, she felt a little more at home at UAB.

One of those connections began with the department of University Recreation. What started as a personal commitment to fitness became an unexpected source of community. Working out at the Campus Recreation Center became part of Ankita's daily routine, and when she learned the department was hiring summer camp counselors, she decided to apply. That role provided summer employment and led to another job with University Recreation during fall and spring semesters. 

"One opportunity led to another," she says. 

Each experience opened the door to new relationships, deeper involvement, and continued growth. Those experiences broadened her perspective and expanded her network. They also reinforced what she already believed: open doors are only helpful if you’re willing to walk through them. 

By graduation, Ankita gained much more than a degree. She built community, developed professional skills, and successfully transitioned into a career in data science here in Birmingham.  All because she decided not to wait.

Discovering the work that matters.

For Dillon Jackson, the most meaningful part of college wasn't finding his place. It's helping other students find theirs.

When he arrived at UAB from Huntsville, Dillon chose English and psychology as his majors, but he wasn't yet sure how those academic interests would translate into a career.

Dillon found ways to get involved on campus through student organizations and the Marching Blazers band, but it was his role as a Resident Assistant his sophomore year that got him thinking about how much he enjoyed helping students navigate challenges, feel at home on campus, and build community. 

Then, at just the right moment, a classroom writing assignment brought clarity to what Dillon had been feeling. 

Having been asked to explore a future career, Dillon reflected on his present and his past. The experiences that had mattered most all had one thing in common: helping students feel supported. Conversations with the UAB Career Center and other campus professionals revealed an entire profession devoted to helping students discover their place, overcome obstacles, and reach their potential. 

That profession is Student Affairs. 

This coming year, Dillon will serve as a UAB Orientation Leader in addition to his role as a Resident Assistant, continuing down a path he had been cultivating all along, now with a clear sense of purpose and possibility. 

Beyond the degree. Pursuing her passion.

For Maizonne Fields, the degree was never the end goal. It was one step toward a larger mission of creating positive change in the world.

While pursuing her doctorate in Applied Developmental Psychology and a graduate certificate in Public Health, Maizonne looked beyond the classroom for opportunities to turn research into action. She became involved in service initiatives and student advocacy efforts that allowed her to contribute to conversations shaping the student experience. 

One of the most meaningful opportunities came through service on the Student Health and Wellbeing Student Advisory Board, where she worked alongside other students to share perspectives and help inform decisions affecting campus wellbeing. 

For Maizonne, those experiences reinforced an important lesson: the people most affected by decisions should have a voice in shaping them. 

Although she had developed extensive research, leadership, and service experience on her path toward a career in public policy, Maizonne worried employers wouldn't see those experiences as relevant beyond academia.

The UAB Career Center helped her recognize that the problem-solving, communication, and leadership skills she acquired through her academic work were exactly the skills employers value. More importantly, Career Center staff helped her learn how to communicate those skills with confidence.  

That preparation paid off. 

Today, Maizonne works for a national nonprofit organization focused on improving health systems, translating research into policies and practices that improve people's lives. 

The drive to create. The spaces to succeed.

When she came to UAB from Winfield, Alabama, Kendall Wakefield chose to major in history, but she began to see new possibilities for her future as a result of her involvement in UAB Student Media.

Through hands-on experience producing content, collaborating with fellow students, and learning the technical and creative sides of media production, Kendall unlocked the skills and confidence to become a storyteller herself. What started as an interest quickly became a passion.

As her skills grew, so did her responsibilities. Within a year, Kendall stepped into the role of general manager for UABtv, helping expand programming while gaining practical experience managing projects, teams, and creative productions. 

When UAB launched its new writing and media major, Kendall didn't have to wonder whether it was the right fit. Through her work with Student Media, she knew the academic path she wanted to pursue. 

One project proved especially meaningful: a documentary about her experience with craniosynostosis, a rare cranial condition she was diagnosed with at birth. Kendall combined her personal history with the storytelling skills she developed with UABtv, exploring her parents’ fears, the financial strain of a surgery not covered by insurance, and the profound impact that the surgery had on the course of her life.

As she prepared to become the first woman in her family to earn a college degree, Kendall leveraged the portfolio, professional connections, and real-world experience she had built throughout her time at UAB. Those experiences helped her secure a position with the parent company of People magazine before graduation.

What began as an opportunity behind the camera ultimately opened the door to a community, a career, and a future that came more and more into focus.