Sabrina Harrell

Address
Phone
Sabrinaharrell2k15@gmail.com
Sacramento State Ethnic Studies Department
(Cooper-Woodson College Enhancement Program)
Statement Of Interest
Dear Hiring Committee,
My name is Sabrina Harrell. I come from Stockton, Ca where I grew up in a
socioeconomically disadvantaged single grandparent household. At a very young age my
courageous grandmother installed the knowledge of what life was like without the rights and
freedom African American aspire today. I immediately followed in my grandmother's footsteps
in being a pro-activist on the south side and took on many opportunities in school reaching out to
the African American population. Despite daily adversity, I am proud to say that I am the
youngest and first woman in my family to graduate high school with honors. Due to hard work
and dedication I received many opportunities to continue my education at a four-year university.
I chose to attend Sacramento State University immediately after high school; for many this may
seem as part of the course but growing up in Stockton this is major milestone. I wanted to be a
part of higher education but I also needed to stay close to my support my family.
At Sacramento State I was desperately searching for courses that would teach me about
Pan African History and Ethnic Studies in general. I wanted to develop my knowledge and
awareness of the different ethnic histories so often left out of high school curricula. As I went
through the course work of taking many different classes to finish my major, I learned so much
by reading many different texts on the African slave trade and the various contexts of how people
view chattel slavery. I think that time period is amazing to analyze from an Ethnic Studies
perspective. As I move towards broader studies my ability to think critically about racial
discourse and marginalized communities has helped me focus on what I want to major in and
subject matter that can peak my interest in developing my writing skills.
Throughout my journey in finding my educational footprint, I have always tried to give
back to my younger generation in being a certified tutor after graduating high school for various
districts in the Sacramento, Elk Grove and San Joaquin areas. This line of work combined with
the knowledge I have been receiving from many mentors, professors and colleagues has pointed
me in the position of wanting to work with African American scholars. I want to assist in
bridging the gap between high school completion and continuing on to higher education. My
educational background of Ethnic Studies with an emphasis in Pan African history makes me
relatable to such students needing assistance in navigating their institutional needs. I feel no
scholar should be left behind and should always seek academic help. I would love the
opportunity to continue reaching out to scholars who are struggling to succeed and guide their
purpose and visions for their educational footprint on life.