Elise Saba named President’s Medalist for transfer students

Elise Saba, who will be receiving a bachelor’s degree in English, has been awarded a President’s Medal for scholarship as a transfer student -- an award given to a student who entered the UW with at least 60 transfer credits from a Washington community college.

Saba transferred to the UW from North Seattle Community College, where she had been named to the President’s List for her high scholarship, and also to the Phi Theta Kappa honor society for community college students.

At the UW, Saba has been a Mary Gates Leadership Scholar and a member of Phi Beta Kappa honor society. She also has been a member of departmental honors in English. Her first publication in fiction appeared in the Daily, the UW student newspaper, in March.

Unsurprisingly, two of her favorite classes involve fiction: the Contemporary Novel, and Science Fiction and Fantasy, taught by Veronica Robertson, "by far one of the best professors I have ever had" she said. She was also very fond of classes in Drama and a very lively class in Shakespeare.

Outside of class, she was very involved in Swing Kids, the UW’s swing dance club, serving as its president. "What I’ve loved about this is the wonderful way that dancing unites fun-loving people" she said. She also sings in her family’s a capella quartet, Batteries Not Included.

Saba is proud of the fact that she was home schooled through 10th grade. "It was one of the best gifts a mother could have ever given her child" she said. "The attention I was given and the ways in which I have had some freedom to pursue and refine my interests when I was young have made all the difference in the adult I am today. If I can thank my parents in some way for what they gave me through this home schooling education, it would be to tell them that I plan to home school my own kids"