To Make the World a Better Place, Start in Your Home Town:
Profile of Wilkes Honors College Alumnus: Jocelyn Sabbagh

Jupiter, FL (February 10, 2009) - Byline Tamara Howard
Jocelyn Sabbagh, the Director of the El Sol Neighborhood Resource Center in Jupiter, is having a busy day.  Nearly 4,000 clients are registered to use El Sol’s services, and those clients include migrant workers and their families, employers, and local homeowners.  Within this diverse population of constituents, Sabbagh coordinates all programs offered by the facility, such as the hiring center, courses in speaking English, reading Spanish, and mastering computer skills.  Naturally,Sabbagh can’t provide all of these services herself.  She works closely with 63 partners (religious, international, private, and public institutions), more than 120 volunteers, and a professional staff. 

It’s a huge task for someone who’s been out of college for less than two years, but Sabbagh says that she’s up to the challenge because of the education she received as an undergraduate student of Florida Atlantic University’s Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College.

Sabbagh was a frequent recipient of awards and recognitions while she was an FAU student.  During her years as a student in the Wilkes Honors College, she won more than a dozen awards, including a recognition as Outstanding Senior at the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College and Owl of the Year for the John D. MacArthur campus in Jupiter.  Sabbagh was also a member of the Golden Key Honor Society and the Sigma Delta Phi Spanish Honor Society. 

Many of these awards reflected Sabbagh’s high level of service to the Honors College community.  She served as a senator in the Student Government Association during her sophomore year and chaired the Senate’s Rules Committee.  When she was a Junior, she became the president of the local Hillel and was very involved in the Jewish life on campus.  One of Sabbagh’s most rewarding activities involved the non-profit organization Corn Maya, with which she worked since her second semester at FAU.  In coordination with Corn Maya she helped create an English as a Second Language (ESL) program that benefited the local immigrant community.  During her last year at the Honors College, Sabbagh created the Corn Maya Club with several other students to continue the exchange of community service between the Honors College and the immigrant community of Jupiter.

Sabbagh states that each of these organizations affected her equally, but that her involvement with Corn Maya has been the most influential in her professional life. The ESL program that she helped start five years ago still runs successfully under her supervision.  Since its inception the program has graduated over 200 students and been recognized by the Palm Beach County School District.  While reflecting on her time at the Honors College, she notes that her best experiences were when she had the opportunity to participate in several important events made possible by her advisor, Dr. Timothy Steigenga.  She met Guatemalan Nobel Peace Laureate, Rigoberta Menchu, served as interpreter for the “Sister Cities” signing ceremony for Jupiter and Jacaltenango, Guatemala, and provided interpreter services for the Guatemalan President Oscar Berger when he visited Jupiter.

2-25-09