Sabina Ashurova, Darby Family/Victory Real Estate Scholarship

Sabina Ashurova (AB ’22, MS ’22) knows how financial stress can loom over every part of life.

“The more it adds up, the more you see a thunderstorm forming above your head,” said Sabina. “You can’t fully focus on what’s in front of you and what you’re doing. You’re constantly looking up at this dark cloud, feeling anxious.”

Sabina’s family immigrated to the U.S. when she was 8 years old. They worked hard to build a life in Warner Robins, but college presented a significant financial challenge.

A turning point came when, after picking up family who had flown in to celebrate Sabina’s high school graduation, she checked her email in the car.

“I remember we were about to get off on our exit, and I opened an email that said, ‘congratulations, you have been awarded a Georgia Commitment Scholarship,’” said Sabina. “I read it out loud for my family and we all just started screaming and celebrating.”

The need-based scholarship allowed Sabina to dodge that dark cloud, explore campus and discover her passions. It also enabled some other impactful experiences: meeting her donors and her mentor.

Sabina first connected with her donors, Alton (BBA ’69) and Cathy Darby, during her freshman year.

“ It was very calming to know that I had this other set of allies as a student who had moved away from my family and was trying to figure everything out on my own,” said Sabina. “I’m incredibly grateful for them.”

Later, as Ashurova started discovering her passion for data and technology, she began applying for Silicon Valley internships. A UGA staffer connected her with Elisha Finney (BBA ’83), a decorated alumna and UGA Foundation trustee with connections in the Bay Area.

Several months later, Finney met with Sabina and a group of other students. Sabina said her message was simple: “ She was telling everyone, ‘If you’re serious about getting internships in California, I’m going to help you make it happen.’”

Finney made connections for the students, helped them create resumes, held mock interviews, and even offered to let them stay at her home during their internships. Thanks in part to Finney’s help, Sabina got the internship she sought, but that wasn’t the end of Finney’s mentorship.

“ We keep in touch to this day,” said Sabina. “She is just an absolute icon. She’s impacted my life and the lives of so many others in such a deep and meaningful way that all I can do is try to give it back to others.”

Today, Sabina, who is now a senior data scientist specializing in GenAI at Cisco, says the dark clouds are becoming harder and harder to find.

“My sky is clear,” she said.