A point guard and co-captain for the Elon women's basketball team majoring in marketing and finance, Saadia plans to work in sales after graduating in May.
As Saadia Munford ’21 enters her last year playing with the Elon women’s basketball team, she credits the three other seniors on the team for making her time at Elon so special. The women spend almost all their time together, even creating a faux sorority using their initials, “JASA Phi.” She says she knows these are friends she’ll have for life.
Saadia, a marketing and finance double major, also acknowledges the influence of her mentors, including Assistant Professor of Marketing George Talbert Jr., who taught her sales management course last fall. She says her time in Talbert’s class helped lead to opportunities such as a summer internship at Aflac and a position on the Elon Sales Team. She recently formed an LLC to start her own e-commerce business. “The teamwork, ethics and time-management skills that athletes have make working in sales a good fit,” she says. “And Dr. Talbert really gave me the confidence to focus on sales and go for those types of positions.”
In March, COVID-19 delivered an unexpected end to the 2019-20 basketball season, just as the CAA tournament was beginning. Saadia is hopeful that this year’s season will not be canceled. A point guard and team co-captain, she knows the team relies on her to provide energy, leadership and impeccable judgment on the court. And although she loves those roles, she’s also looking forward to life after graduation.
“I’ve given basketball all I’ve got, and after this year, I feel like I’m prepared to step away from it and start a career,” she says. “Coach [Charlotte] Smith cares for her players as human beings and taught us to be good people first. It’s important to be kind. You just never know what impact you might have.”
Saadia is Elon and one of many stories that are part of our “I Am Elon” series.