Outstanding Young Alumni Award
Saja Almogalli ’23
San Diego, California
College of Arts and Sciences

Saja Almogalli has shaped her career around public service rooted in resilience, education, and a commitment to helping young people and families feel safe and supported. After arriving in Vermont as a refugee from Iraq at age 16, she graduated from Burlington High School and went on to become the first member of her family to attend college in the United States. She previously served as a community service officer and police officer with the Burlington Police Department before joining the Winooski School District, where she worked with students from pre-kindergarten through high school, bringing her lived experience and cultural understanding to her work. She has been recognized by Vermont’s governor for her immigrant success story and has spoken at the United Nations about refugee issues and world peace.

Saja earned a degree in health and society at UVM in 2023. Her commitment to education and civic engagement was already evident as a student: in 2022, she ran as a write-in candidate for the Burlington School Board and won a seat, becoming one of the youngest members to serve. Her path to higher education was shaped by years without formal schooling. After her family left Iraq in 2014, she spent more than three years in Turkey, where she taught herself English and helped homeschool her siblings before the family resettled in Burlington in 2017. At Burlington High School, she helped other students learn English and translate their assignments. Those experiences continue to shape her approach to service. She is currently training at the San Diego Regional Academy in hopes of continuing as a school resource officer or juvenile officer with the San Diego Police Department.

Established in 1979, the UVM Alumni Association’s Outstanding Young Alumni Award honors alumni who graduated within the past ten years and have demonstrated exceptional dedication to the University of Vermont through volunteer service or have achieved notable success in their profession or life's work, reflecting a strong commitment to the university's mission.