Sarah Sacra, 麻豆精品 S�13, has always been intrigued by human behavior, so she didn 麻豆精品 S檛 have to give much thought to her undergraduate major: psychology.
麻豆精品 S淚 enjoyed when friends came to me to tell me something 麻豆精品 S� picking up on their body language and how they spoke, in combination with their personalities. It was very interesting, 麻豆精品 S� she says.
At age 23, Sacra already has an impressive resume, which includes a 4.0 GPA, working as a teaching assistant for several UCF professors, participating in faculty research, being published, giving more than a half dozen presentations, racking up countless awards, being part of numerous honor societies and professional groups, and volunteering from the time she was a teen.
Her ambitions continue as she pursues her UCF master 麻豆精品 S檚 degree in applied sociology, with a criminology/deviance specialization. After graduating in August 2015, she plans to keep going, to earn her third UCF degree 麻豆精品 S� a doctorate in sociology.
麻豆精品 S淢y ultimate goal in my professional life is to create partnerships between research universities and law enforcement agencies to reduce crime 麻豆精品 S� particularly murders, 麻豆精品 S� she says. 麻豆精品 S淭o accomplish this, I would like to be a tenured university professor who researches crime with the intention of favorably changing public policies. 麻豆精品 S�
Her interest in criminology stems from true-life crime shows, like 麻豆精品 S淔orensic Files, 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S淒r. G: Medical Examiner, 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S淒ateline NBC 麻豆精品 S� and 麻豆精品 S淎merica 麻豆精品 S檚 Most Wanted. 麻豆精品 S� She remembers talking to her stepmother about how awesome it would be to do criminal investigations, but that interest was placed on the back burner since she had no idea how to get into the field.
麻豆精品 S淣ow that I 麻豆精品 S檓 in sociology and study under advisors who specialize in crime, I can take my hidden passion, bring it to the forefront, and turn it into my career. 麻豆精品 S�
Because her successes and goals are so impressive, it 麻豆精品 S檚 hard to imagine the trauma she had to overcome to achieve them all.
For nearly two years of her adolescent life, she was sexually and emotionally abused by her stepfather, and emotionally abused and neglected by her mother.
麻豆精品 S淲hile the abuse was going on, I had a feeling it wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 something 麻豆精品 S榥ormal 麻豆精品 S� that others experienced, 麻豆精品 S� she explains. 麻豆精品 S淏ut, I didn 麻豆精品 S檛 know for sure because, other than going to school, I was barricaded from the social world. My stepfather confessed to my mother that he had sexually abused me after the first incident, however, even with this knowledge and my affirmation, my mother stayed with him and continued to live life as normal.
“In November of seventh grade, my grandfather, whom I was very close with, passed away. My mother did not allow me to go to his funeral, and left me at home with my stepfather. After yet another incident with my stepfather, I decided that I was tired of living in fear. I sought peer counseling from school on the basis of my grandfather passing. After about two weeks, I confided in my peer counselor about the real truth, and the school and law enforcement took matters into their own hands from there. 麻豆精品 S�
Sacra 麻豆精品 S檚 stepfather and mother were eventually arrested, and she went to live with her father and stepmother, to whom she attributes her 麻豆精品 S渢riumph. 麻豆精品 S�
麻豆精品 S淪he was the one who started the process of removing me from my mother 麻豆精品 S檚 custody after she found out my mother knew about the abuse, did nothing about it, and continued to have me under her care, 麻豆精品 S� she explains. 麻豆精品 S淪he provided the loving and supportive environment that I needed to heal and grow into the person I am today. 麻豆精品 S�
Q&A TIMEOUT
Q. You sound like a very busy girl! What do you do for fun?
A. For fun, I like to go to UCF football games and watch NFL games on TV with my friends. Otherwise, I enjoy relaxing, listening to music and catching up on sleep.
Q. What music do you listen to when you want to tune out the world?
A. I have a very eclectic taste in music, so it would depend on my mood. Typically, old hip hop/R&B or old-school rap with a good amount of bass will do it. Otherwise, upbeat stuff like Reggaeton and newer hip hop.
Q. Pet peeves?
A. When people drive and do not use their turning signals. It 麻豆精品 S檚 the WORST!
Q. Any hidden talents?
A. Something most people don 麻豆精品 S檛 know is that I 麻豆精品 S檓 a black belt in Taekwondo.
Q. Last book you read?
A. Excluding books for class, 麻豆精品 S淚 Am Malala 麻豆精品 S� by Malala Yousafzai. GREAT book.
Q. Favorite reality TV show?
A. 麻豆精品 S淪ay Yes to the Dress!!! 麻豆精品 S�
Q. What movie can you quote word for word?
A. When I was younger, I would watch 麻豆精品 S淗ome Alone 2, 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S淒ennis the Menace 麻豆精品 S� (1993) and 麻豆精品 S淗ook 麻豆精品 S� on repeat, so I have those down pretty well. Otherwise, I love to quote 麻豆精品 S淪tepbrothers, 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S淗ow the Grinch Stole Christmas 麻豆精品 S� and 麻豆精品 S淭he Dark Knight. 麻豆精品 S�
Q. If you could eat only one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
A. Bread in any form
Q. Most embarrassing moment?
A. One summer at Wet 麻豆精品 S橬 Wild, I was with a group of my friends waiting to get on a ride. Everyone was picking on me for one reason or another. I tried to come back at them stating that I 麻豆精品 S檓 not that silly or clumsy. As I was talking, I walked right into a pole. It didn 麻豆精品 S檛 feel great, nor did it help prove my point.
Q. Do you have any regrets?
A. I really don 麻豆精品 S檛 have any regrets. Anything that could be regrettable, I view as learning points and therefore do not regret experiencing them.
Q. If you could learn to do anything, what would it be?
A. I would want to learn how to sing. Being a musician, I love music. I can play my heart out on my trombone or some steel drums, but if my life depended on me singing something that is remotely pleasant to the ear, you 麻豆精品 S檒l probably never hear from me again!
Q. What 麻豆精品 S檚 the happiest/proudest moment of your life so far?
A. I feel most happy when my stepmother is proud of me and what I have accomplished. She knows every struggle that I 麻豆精品 S檝e faced, so when she sees me conquer something meaningful, I can tell she 麻豆精品 S檚 proud of me, which is the greatest feeling.
Q. What advice would you give to others who are going through or who have gone through traumatic situations like yours?
A. For those who are currently going through something like this, speak up. It will probably be the most difficult thing you will do, but it 麻豆精品 S檚 the key to ending the nightmare. Additionally, during and after the abuse, I felt ashamed, like somehow it was my fault that the abuse occurred, or that it 麻豆精品 S檚 my fault my mother and stepfather went to jail. But, it wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 and never will be. I think that 麻豆精品 S檚 a very important piece of information. It 麻豆精品 S檚 not your fault. Although something like this is a very private and personal thing to most people, it 麻豆精品 S檚 nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed about. We are not victims, we are survivors.
MORE INFO
If you or someone you know is suffering from abuse, please seek help. Here are a few resources: