Beyond the Athlete: Sarah Kimak
10/7/2021
Sarah Kimak is her name and she is a member of the University of Delaware cross country/track and field program. Beyond that, the Point Pleasant, N.J. native is a sophomore and a double major in –wait for it—
Computer and Cognitive Science (Minors: Integrated Design and Disability Studies)
Uh, Sarah, what is that?
Over my first year of college, I worked really hard to find the best combination of majors and minors to help me pursue that passion and I am so excited for my future in it. My main focus is using computer science topics such as Artificial Intelligence and Robotics to help people with all types of disabilities since there are so many areas to be improved upon from prosthetics to communication devices. My second major in cognitive science focuses more on how the brain works and processes things, and I just added a third in psychology so I can fully understand all aspects of disabilities and the mind to create the most helpful devices. Without geeking out too much, I will sum it up with having knowledge in these areas will allow me to do more than just experiment and expand on the technology side of things, and I will be able to recognize the smaller details necessary for the best outcomes.
Visual of how broad cognitive science is/all of Kimak's majors connect
Sarah took her first computer science class during her sophomore year of high school at Point Pleasant Borough which lit a spark that only grew bigger over the last five years. She joined the software engineering club and credits her advisor and AP programming teacher, Mr. Nick Gattuso, as her inspiration to use technology as the vehicle in helping people.
The software engineering club's main focus was a program called PALS, Panther Assisted Learning Software, in relation to us being the Point Borough Panthers. It helped life skills students be more included through a lunch buddy system that let them find people to eat lunch with, find jobs within the community, and many other general aspects that assisted them on a daily basis in school. We spent a lot of time with the life skills students and it was so inspiring and heartwarming to see firsthand how happy and grateful they were for everything PALS offered them. This drove me to want to have that impact on an even larger scale with my career.
Kimak at Life Skills Prom in 2019
Sarah didn’t just look to serve members in her high school, she wanted to make an impact in her community as well.
Along with apps that assisted the life skills students, a website called DAWN, Depression Anxiety Wellness Network, was a huge success across the state for its assistance in mental health management. I was also creating an app that focused on assisting senior citizens but unfortunately, we never got to finish creating it due to COVID. I worked on leading presentations in our local and regional STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) tank contests for already developed or functioning apps that helped the community and general public as well.
STEAM Tank Regional Presentation in 2019
One of the best parts of high school for me was to be involved in and surrounded by so many creative people who shared a passion for helping others. It’s the main reason I am in the position I am in today.
Sarah proved to be a stellar student - she was named her class Valedictorian, AP scholar with distinction, was part of the National Honor Society and high honor roll throughout her high school career. Along with that, she was a standout cross country/track and field athlete and carried it to her collegiate career. Where does she find the time to do it all…
Though I’ve been competing at a high level all throughout high school and being part of a collegiate team is obviously even more demanding, I always found running to be a very helpful outlet for me. Whether it’s venting to whoever I’m running with, hearing about someone else’s day or just taking in nature out on the trails, it’s a great way to ease the stress. In high school I never expected to be a constant top two on the team and the top of my class. My influences are my siblings, they inspired me to excel in sports and my parents did the same with school. My academic workload, career goals and athletics have always balanced each other out, which is one of the reasons I chose to attend Delaware. I knew I would be able to continue what I did throughout high school and find myself in a position to succeed both academically and athletically and have a great support system.
Kimak w/her 2021 XC teammates at Towson Invitiational
This past summer Sarah had the opportunity of being an undergraduate researcher at UCLA, working in the Speech Processing and Auditory Perception Lab.
Kimak during her final research presentation this summer
I was able to analyze the effectiveness of social robots in children’s speech development. I looked for patterns in how children could learn from a social robot, improve the development of language acquisition skills through individualized programs to possibly be used in future smart classrooms.
Sarah is mindful of her impact being a woman in tech and wants to pay it forward.
It makes me super happy to see so many programs that encourage Women in Tech since there is still such an unbalanced ratio in the field. The best advice I can give is to get involved and never give up, because it will get hard, but if you have a passion for something you can do anything. I joined Alpha Omega Epsilon here at UD, a professional sorority for women in engineering and technical sciences, and it has brought me together with like-minded women who can support and inspire me. I've found so many opportunities regarding scholarships, networking and sponsorship in conferences such as Grace Hopper, which I will be attending virtually this year!
Kimak and some of women members of STEM in A.O.E.
So what’s next for Ms. Kimak?
“The awesome thing about STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) is there are limitless opportunities. As I look into research labs and internships for this winter/summer, I am overwhelmed with how many appeal to me, though I have not yet decided which I will be doing.”
Kimak and the Blue Hens are scheduled to host its annual Delaware Invitational Saturday, Oct. 9, from White Clay Creek State Park in Newark, Del. starting at 9:30 a.m.
