Empowerment For Good: Anna Saadeh ’28

Written by Grace Odmark ’26

Anna Saadeh is a rising junior at the University of Notre Dame and is from Naples, Florida. Anna is studying strategic management and Arabic with a minor in civil and human rights. She is specifically passionate about international and human rights and using her experience to support women, both at Notre Dame and abroad. 

Anna became heavily involved in her community from the beginning of her time at Notre Dame when she joined the Baraka Bouts Women’s Boxing Club, through which she raises money to support women’s education in Uganda. Additionally, during her freshman year, Anna joined Innovation for Impact, through which she has been connected with girls at St. Bakhita’s Vocational Training Center in Uganda and assisted in its English tutoring program. 

During the following summer, Anna participated in the ND Bridge program. The program was facilitated by the Notre Dame Institute for Social Concerns, which connects students with organizations fighting injustice in marginalized communities in the United States and globally. Anna participated in the Kenya program, along with four other Notre Dame students.

During her eight weeks in the program, Anna focused on her chosen research question: “How do culture and sisterhood empower and support women in vulnerable communities?” In addition to pursuing answers to this question, she equipped local businesswomen with resources to enact their business models.

“Since I’m a business major, I participated in the finance committee. We’d go interview local women that had their own small businesses to learn about their businesses, what they’re doing with their finances, if they know how to budget, etc. Some of their businesses were going downhill so we were trying to help them by giving advice and we would host workshops for them with finance PowerPoints explaining budgeting, savings accounts, and things for retirement. The resources they had were different from what we have here in America, so one of the challenges was determining what they have access to for retirement planning.”

Another project Anna participated in focused on empowering local girls. She took inspiration from the women’s workshops she had conducted as part of Innovation for Impact. She prioritized women’s health issues and educating the girls on how to care for themselves properly.

“In Innovation for Impact, I led the empowerment project this past fall, but participated in it all of freshman year as well,” she said. “We’d create a curriculum for girls in Uganda and share it with them virtually to educate on women’s health, empowerment, self-love, confidence, and other topics. We carried that curriculum over into my Kenya trip, and I presented the workshops alongside the two other Notre Dame girls there.”

The group of Notre Dame students volunteered nightly at the local children’s home, where they played games with the children and grew in relationship with them. Anna and the other students also worked through tutoring resources with the children and young adults present.

“Every night we’d go to the children’s home for an hour or two. When they got home from school we would play with them. We’d play sports, card games, chess. The girls would love playing with our hair, and we’d just hang out with them. It was really fun.”

“The kids became like little siblings to us.” 

The volunteers also organized “culture nights” for the kids, during which ND Bridge participants shared food and traditions from their respective cultures. During the last culture night, the kids shared their culture with the ND Bridge students and had a celebration in appreciation for the volunteers before they headed home. Anna reflected that by the end of the trip, it felt as though many of the children at the home were like little siblings to her, and she has stayed in touch with many of them.

The Notre Dame students had the opportunity to work on one of the nearby farms for the day and experience the process of harvesting beans in the area. They also went on safaris, hikes, and animal encounters to learn more about the area in which they were serving. 

When asked what drew her to participate so heavily in service, both on campus and beyond, Anna shared that her parents are immigrants from Lebanon. As a result, growing up, they instilled in her a deep appreciation for the opportunity she has to use her education, talents, and time to give back to others and grow in community with those she serves.

“I’ve always wanted to be a lawyer and discovering that there’s a field in which I can help people while connecting my analytical skills from my management degree and my knowledge of Arabic and human rights for the sake of doing good is exciting to me.”

After graduating from Notre Dame, Anna hopes to pursue a law degree. Her interests lie in topics relating to international and human rights law. She is excited to continue to see what service opportunities arise during her remaining time at Notre Dame and to continue using her interests to serve others in a meaningful way.

Anna’s service through the Institute for Social Concerns and other campus clubs is possible through the generosity and support of donors like you, who make these incredible service opportunities possible for students.