Sunisa “Yuki” Saeli

“Even before I became a student ambassador, going to Richland Campus felt like I had joined a family. As a STEM ambassador, I work with the STEM Institute, which has branches across Dallas College. It includes Undergraduate Research at Dallas College (UR@DC), the mINiTERN Program and many others.

“I help students find resources that we offer at Dallas College. Many students don’t know that the STEM Institute exists; they aren’t aware of opportunities that students can join and experience. My duty is to connect with students and campus resources and allow them to explore STEM fields, and not just their major.

“I say, join a club or organization! That is what allowed me to explore, try new things, learn what I really like and enjoy, and what I want to do in the future. I even went to Chicago to attend the Society of Women Engineers Conference, the world’s largest conference for women in engineering. Just get out of your comfort zone.

“Being a woman in STEM means being strong. We’re there to support each other. We have a Women in STEM club at Dallas College. We meet twice a month and sometimes collaborate with STEM League, Programming Club and UR@DC. We help students learn about resources and connect with other officers to host activities.

“I also connect with faculty. They know about the industry, what it looks like and what opportunities there are. I have asked them about their experiences before becoming professors, and they shared their advice. You never know what they may know.” 

“What people get wrong about STEM is thinking that STEM isn’t for them. Everyone has their own talent. There are many branches inside of STEM. People don’t realize that, in STEM, students make models and do other artistic projects.”

“Dallas College gives countless opportunities for me to learn and grow and connect with people, and I didn’t expect that traveling to a new city. I don’t know if I would get this same opportunity as a new undergraduate student somewhere else. I tell my friends and my family that Dallas College gives international students similar opportunities as U.S. citizens.”

Yuki Saeli is earning her associate degree in Computer Science at Dallas College. She has been accepted at University of California San Diego and will transfer into their data science program. She credits her sister Yuka Saekow, Dallas College class of 2025 graduation speaker, as her biggest influence and motivator. Yuki's experience speaks to the importance of support from other students and alumni.

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